The MEC for the department, Lenah Miga, and her officials will on Tuesday answer questions from the Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs). Municipalities, such as the Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla, Klerksdorp-based Matlosana and the troubled Setlagole-based Ratlou Local Municipalities, will be under scrutiny at the sitting this afternoon.

The committee in the Legislature recently lashed out at the Ratlou Municipality for failing to take action against the Municipal Manager (MM), Chief Finance Officer (CFO), and the procurement officer for alleged Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) corruption, amounting to R25 million, which was allegedly spent irregularly. Miga and her officials will also be questioned about the department's 2022/23 Annual Performance Plans and Budget.

Also read: Trouble mounts at ailing NW municipality over SIU’s PPE report

The last sitting of the committee with the department, which was chaired by its chairperson Aaron Motswana, found the officials of the municipality guilty of misconduct for failing to prevent losses by permitting the municipality to procure PPE items at wholly inflated prices; and failing to ensure that the municipality followed Treasury Regulation Circular 100 regarding the pricing of PPE items, and failing to act with fidelity, honesty, integrity and in the best interest of the municipality in managing its financial resources.

Meanwhile, the Klerksdorp-based Matlosana will tomorrow appear before the North West Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

The municipality will appear before the committee over the Dikopane Projects Management Refuse Removal Contract. In his 2022 State of the Province Address (SOPA), the premier announced that following the publication of the SIU's investigation and report on the PPE contracts, all MECs and accounting officers were expected to act on all recommendations on disciplinary cases cited in this report before the end of March 2022.

OFM News previously reported that all 22 municipalities in the province, according to the AG report, used consultants in addition to their financial staff complement, leading to wasteful expenditure, and a total of R277,7 million was spent by municipalities in the province during the 2019/20 financial year alone.

Also read: NW municipalities spend millions on consultants

OFM News