The Free State Department of Police, Roads, and Transport is being accused of unduly spending a whopping R776 000 on a single-day virtual event in commemoration of Women’s Month held in August this year in Bloemfontein. 

The EFFs provincial secretary, Bosanku Msimanga, has accused the department of fraud and corruption after claiming that a mere 100 people in total had attended the virtual event. Msimanga has slammed the department for allegedly spending the said amount on a virtual event and he says the party has now opened a criminal case against this department. 

“We are of the view that fraud and corruption occurred at this virtual event because you can’t spend R700 000 on a programme that was run on a virtual platform" for less than a 100 people who attended, Msimanga says. He adds that “there’s never been a virtual meeting that will cost that amount of money.

Msimanga mentions that this case was based on the improper spending of taxpayers' money for events that shouldn’t cost more than R10 000 at most. He adds the involved traffic officers are still struggling to get their overtime money from the department. “We think people were simply looting money, using women traffic officers,” claims Msimanga.

He adds that even if the event was budgeted for - with the Covid-19 pandemic and the disaster management regulations in mind - those who participated in this virtual event in all the regions amounted to only a 100, which can be proved in a video taken of the event. This event was held illogically, irrationally, and irresponsibly by the department, adds Msimanga.

He adds that the party is simply calling the government of the Free State to come clean with regards to why such an exorbitant amount of money was spent on this single-day event while the women in traffic and traffic officers, in general, are complaining about the payment of their overtime, and the mere supply of adequate PPE. Msimanga says that the spending of the money was done irrationally when there are a number of things that the government is lacking where that kind of money could have been used.

“We are calling on all those who say they are corruption fighters, to fight,” Msimanga.

OFM News previously reported that the former MEC Sam Mashinini was fired by Premier Sisi Ntombela, and that the Head of the Department, Sipho Mtakati, was removed from his position.

OFM News/Lee Simmons and Lucky Nkuyane