Investigation instituted into SDM affairs

GA-NKOANA – The Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) council during its special meeting on Friday, 8 April seating at Ga-Nkoana Village resolved to institute a forensic investigation into the municipality’s affairs.

According to the district municipality the purpose of the forensic investigation is largely to unpack overarching issues in order to get the basics right with respect to the diagnosis of infrastructure and service delivery, governance and organizational capacity as well as the municipal finances.

Allegations of double payments made to service providers recently marred the local government institution.

Asked on the latter allegations on Friday, SDM Communications Manager, Moloko Moloto, would not be drawn into comment and said: “Due to today’s resolution by council to institute a forensic investigation on the affairs of the district municipality, it would not be a good idea to comment on specific cases. Council will make relevant pronouncement at the appropriate time.”

Seun Mogotji, Bolsheviks Party of South Africa (BPSA) leader, an opposition in SDM council, said there was an urgent need for a look into the double payments of service providers by the municipality, which was referred to as nothing but an accounting error.

Mogotji said accountability was key and that the public deserved to know the truth as the money being misused was meant to improve the quality of service delivery.

He added that a spotlight also needed to be cast on the returning to National Treasury of the unspent R185 million when the people of Sekhukhune needed essential services such as water.

The BPSA leader said they hoped that the instituted forensic investigation was not a ploy to mislead the public that serious findings would come out.

The district municipality informed that the instituted forensic investigation was given a six months’ lifespan by council.