The mayor of the DA-led Modimolle-Mookgophong local municipality, Marlene van Staden, took one step closer to instilling a culture of accountability at the municipality when she led council to adopt a forensic report on financial maladministration.
The report, which was commission by Treasury on the request of the mayor, specifically focused on payments made to the municipality’s creditors, the mismanagement of conditional grant monies and hundreds of suspicious payments made from the municipality’s bank account.
Council also agreed to all the recommendations in the report which include the laying of criminal charges against individuals and companies and instituting disciplinary proceedings against officials.
Soon after being elected to head the minority government, Mayor Van Staden realised that the municipality’s finances were in a dire state and that officials were not properly accounting for the various payments made. She asked National Treasury to commission a forensic investigation to determine those responsible for the maladministration and to determine where the money was going. The report was completed in February this year, but only presented to the municipality in August.
Government departments regularly initiate investigations and produce reports when there is evidence that public money was stolen, however, often these end up going nowhere and no one is ever held accountable.
Mayor Van Staden hopes that this report and the subsequent action taken, will be the start of a new era at the municipality where those who commit fraud, corruption and maladministration face the full might of the law, including recovering the money looted from the taxpayer.
