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Poor to lose millions

A vacant positionin the Polokwane municipality could cost it R188-million in conditional grants.

The municipality's application for a rollover of the unspent conditional grants was rejected on the basis that the municipality did not have a full-time chief financial officer.

A National Treasury regulation states that "no roll-over requests will be considered for municipalities with vacant or acting chief financial officers".

Meanwhile, the DA has written to mayor Thembi Nkadimeng, requesting her to probe the underspending and act against those delaying projects.

DA councillor Ngako Setjie saidthe projects - aimed at improving the lives of its residents - which the municipality failed to spend money on were the Badimong regional water scheme in Mankweng, the Molepo/ Maja water scheme, rural sanitation, and the Olifantspoort water plant.

According to Setjie, the delay happened "deliberately" as targeted companies owned by ANC bigwigs had too many projects to deal with.

Meanwhile, water levels in reservoirs are low.

The Olifantspoort plant which supplies the city with water became dysfunctional because of a lack of power supply at the ageing water plant.

Setjie is worried that the municipality underspent by R251-million in the previous year.

"It is clear that the municipality finds itself in a financial crisis. We cannot allow underspending while people continue to suffer," he said.

Charles Molepo, chairman of the municipality's portfolio committee on finance, said even though the money was not spent, it was already committed.

"We just need to inform National Treasury that the money is currently being used and must be rolled over to the next financial year. We only need National Treasury's approval," said Molepo.

He said the municipality's chief financial officer was among 10 senior officials being investigated in relation to a bus rapid transport tender.

An investigation team is currently on site at the municipality to finalise the investigation within 30 days.

But Molepo said the suspension of the chief financial officer (CFO) would not have an impact on the grant as they also have a deputy CFO.

"Because the CFO has not been found guilty until proven so, in terms of the investigations that are ongoing, that will not hinder approval by the National Treasury for a rollover," he said.

Molepo added that the projects had to overlap because some of them were difficult to complete within their prescribed period.

He also confirmed that last year's rollover was at R251-million.

Phumza Macanda, spokeswoman for the National Treasury, had not responded at the time of going to print.

frankm@sowetan.co.za

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