Image: GALLO IMAGES
An ANC councillor, Dennis Thabe, has been "milking the state" by staying at the mayoral house of the Mogale city local municipality, west of Johannesburg, for more than 10 months without paying a cent for rental and municipal services.
Thabe owes the cash-strapped ANC-led municipality R168 000.
Although he is expected to pay about R9 033 per month for 12 months, he has not signed an agreement to settle the debt.
Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs and human settlement Paul Mashatile revealed this when replying to a question from the DA's MPL Khume Ramulifho about Thabe's stay - rent-free - at the mayoral house in the Gauteng legislature yesterday.
Thabe was allegedly moved to the mayoral house after his house was burnt by protesters last year.
"To date the councillor has not paid any of these monies back to the council. The proposed agreement is for him to pay an amount of R9033 for a period of 12 months," Mashatile said.
The MEC said the first instalment was expected to go off at the end of this month.
Ramulifho was not satisfied with Mashatile's reply. He further asked whether it was an exceptional case or it was normal for a councillor to stay at the mayoral house without paying anything.
"I am not sure from the leadership side, [but] what does that say when you have got people to look after who cannot afford [to pay services] but those who can are milking state resources?" Ramulifho said.
In response, Mashatile said it was an exceptional case.
"From the little that I know the councillor was moved to that property after his [house] was burnt.
The municipality did not have any [other] property to put the councillor, [so] they utilised the mayoral house. It is quite clear that they put a councillor in a very expensive house. It could have been avoided," Mashatile said.
However, according to another DA MPL Lebo More, Thabe never had a house.
"The information that I have gathered is that he has been staying at municipal houses for ages," More said.
Patrick Sindane, EFF's MPL who sits on the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements Committee, accused Mashatile and Mogale City local municipality of treating Thabe with kid gloves because he is an ANC councillor.
"If it was an ordinary member of the community, surely that person would have been evicted," Sindane said.
Mogale City municipality spokesman Nkosana Zali was not immediately available for comment.