A presidential proclamation, signed by President Jacob Zuma in 2009, mandated the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate 24 North West municipalities.

It has uncovered wide-ranging instances of irregular tender processes, non-compliance with legislation and callous treatment of taxpayers' hard-earned money.

At the Madibeng local municipality in Brits, the SIU found that 12 companies that had been conducting business with the council were owned by municipal officials.

Investigations show that council officials raked in R4.9-million between January 2005 and November 2009, proving how hard-earned taxpayers' money continued to fall prey to officials who acted as both player and referee.

The millions were paid to the 12 companies the officials had a hand in awarding contracts to.

However, the officials may finally be called upon to account for their misuse of public funds as the SIU has recommended that Madibeng take action.

At the Greater Taung local municipality, the SIU discovered that 135 municipal employees had undeclared financial interests in businesses outside the municipality.

This is compared to 115 council employees having similar interests in the Moses Kotane local municipality.

The SIU established that, in four cases in Greater Taung, council employees had benefited from ownership in companies that did business with the municipality while in Moses Kotane, 17 council employees were found to be directors of companies doing business with the municipality.

The report states that 14 disciplinary matters have been referred to Moses Kotane, including 10 which had been finalised while four were in their final stages.

The SIU reviewed four contracts worth R18.2-million at Greater Taung local municipality as well as an allegation that several municipal officials had been appointed irregularly. However, these investigations were scuppered because of missing files. In its report, the SIU admits that it had failed in its attempts to obtain the files.

Another probe, this time at the Moses Kotane local municipality, proved unsuccessful.

The SIU could not determine whether R2.3-million had been irregularly paid to a service provider tasked with delivering roof sheeting. Allegations had been made that the service provider had not delivered the material.

Meanwhile, Rustenburg local municipality has lost out on R24.3-million worth of rates and tax revenue after having failed to include 19,144 properties in its fixed asset register. This figure was registered as at March 31 2011.

Lethabong is shown to possess the largest concentration of lost revenue.

The SIU has further called for action against the former Tswaing local municipality municipal manager and two directors following revelations that 135 employees were irregularly appointed, while Ramotshere local municipality is under investigation for cheque fraud amounting to R428,246.

The matter has been referred to the SAPS.

- molatlhwao@sowetan.co.za

This article was first published in the printed newspaper on 22 October 2012

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Sat May 25 16:39:53 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 23, 2012

MommaC

Same sh!t, different day.
What are the chances of any of our money being recouped or the perpetrators going to jail? I suppose it depends on which horse they are backing in the political ratrace
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Oct 23, 2012

!#Sinudeity#!

MommaC - What are the chances of the perpetrators going to jail?
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Oct 23, 2012

MommaC

Sin,

As my pa used to say 'halfpad tissen nix en vokal'
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Oct 23, 2012

Tlhakajeng

What about Ratlou Municipality? - go check it out.
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Oct 23, 2012

Largos

What about Magashule? he is Zuma's close ally that's why he cannot be probed...they only investigate Malema just because he was kicked out of ANC..
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Oct 23, 2012

mamkopozi

Kese rese boneng...
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Oct 23, 2012

YaBaNa

The SUI should develop a database of the officials implicated for the naming and shaming purposes .......... We the public, particularly the taxpayers, need to know who those people are.
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Oct 23, 2012

Mgevisa

Jehova wa karhi wa tsetselela kambe hinga rivali kuti sirhelela madoda.
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Oct 23, 2012

RobinHH

No! Really. What a surprise!
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Oct 23, 2012

MorokaLebola

The sad reality is that nothing will happen to these people. I know of cases in the municipality where the same was uncovered by the same SIU under the presidential proclamation but to-date, nothing happened to those implicated. Cases have been thrown out left right & centre. Very sad!
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