Today we expose wanton waste of tax-payers' money - all R350 million of it - in Mpumalanga, a province that is no stranger to incidents of corruption.
The wasteful expenditure was unearthed by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), which recommended that Mpumalanga public works MEC Clifford Mkasi should act against public works head Kgopane Mohlasedi, on whose watch the funds were spent irregularly.
Initial investigations established that Mohlasedi had mishandled more than R4 million.
As we report today, before action could be taken against Mohlasedi, Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza reshuffled his cabinet, removing Mkansi from the public works portfolio.
And worse, Scopa has discovered that the irregular spending amounted to a whopping R350 million. To date, some four months later, new public works MEC Dikeledi Mahlangu has not lifted a finger to address the problem. Instead, she has fobbed off media enquiries with the standard refrain that she was "still studying" Scopa's findings.
Scopa chair Nomsa Mtshweni has disclosed that the deadline for action to be taken against Mohlasedi lapsed on July 31.
By pussyfooting around glaring evidence of what could be massive corruption, Mahlangu is only following in the footsteps of the highest office in the land - the Presidency.
It is common knowledge that President Jacob Zuma has been "studying" a recommendation by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela for three months now.
The recommendation launches a scathing attack on police commissioner General Bheki Cele and Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde.
Both were found to have acquired a lease for police headquarters in an irregular manner - an excercise which would have cost the tax-payer in excess of R1,7 billion.
Latest reports quote Cele as brazenly declaring that he is going nowhere, prompting speculation from observers that either someone has whispered something significant in his ear - or he is holding the proverbial loaded gun to someone very high up in government to risk disciplining him.
For its part, the ruling ANC is not famous for its intolerance for corruption. On the rare instances party bigwigs (such as Tony Yengeni, Moe Shaik, Alan Boesak) were given their just desserts, it was not because of the ANC, but rather in spite of it that justice was dispensed.
Patently, the culture of folding arms in the face of wrong doing, hoping the problem will go away, is filtering down the public service.
Shelving is ANC norm
Today we expose wanton waste of tax-payers' money - all R350 million of it - in Mpumalanga, a province that is no stranger to incidents of corruption.
The wasteful expenditure was unearthed by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), which recommended that Mpumalanga public works MEC Clifford Mkasi should act against public works head Kgopane Mohlasedi, on whose watch the funds were spent irregularly.
Initial investigations established that Mohlasedi had mishandled more than R4 million.
As we report today, before action could be taken against Mohlasedi, Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza reshuffled his cabinet, removing Mkansi from the public works portfolio.
And worse, Scopa has discovered that the irregular spending amounted to a whopping R350 million. To date, some four months later, new public works MEC Dikeledi Mahlangu has not lifted a finger to address the problem. Instead, she has fobbed off media enquiries with the standard refrain that she was "still studying" Scopa's findings.
Scopa chair Nomsa Mtshweni has disclosed that the deadline for action to be taken against Mohlasedi lapsed on July 31.
By pussyfooting around glaring evidence of what could be massive corruption, Mahlangu is only following in the footsteps of the highest office in the land - the Presidency.
It is common knowledge that President Jacob Zuma has been "studying" a recommendation by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela for three months now.
The recommendation launches a scathing attack on police commissioner General Bheki Cele and Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde.
Both were found to have acquired a lease for police headquarters in an irregular manner - an excercise which would have cost the tax-payer in excess of R1,7 billion.
Latest reports quote Cele as brazenly declaring that he is going nowhere, prompting speculation from observers that either someone has whispered something significant in his ear - or he is holding the proverbial loaded gun to someone very high up in government to risk disciplining him.
For its part, the ruling ANC is not famous for its intolerance for corruption. On the rare instances party bigwigs (such as Tony Yengeni, Moe Shaik, Alan Boesak) were given their just desserts, it was not because of the ANC, but rather in spite of it that justice was dispensed.
Patently, the culture of folding arms in the face of wrong doing, hoping the problem will go away, is filtering down the public service.
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