The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the arrest of the municipal manager of Molemole local municipality by the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) earlier today.
The senior municipal official has been arrested for allegedly committing fraud and theft of R4.8 million by allegedly conspiring with signatories at the Makgate Community Property Association to irregularly award an agricultural tender to his wife.
Limpopo has been marred with maladministration since before the province was placed under administration in 2011 when the province had an accumulated unauthorised expenditure of R2.7 billion.
Over the large decade the province accumulated R15 billion in irregular expenditure which clearly indicated the ruling party’s contemptuous disregard for accountability and the law.
The DA particularly calls on the Hawks to expedite their investigation into the politicians and officials involved in illegally investing in VBS bank and to arrest those implicated. The criminal behaviour of these cadres deprived rural municipalities of millions which could have been used to improve the lives of thousands of people.
We further call upon the provincial executive to take accountability for the corrupt state of our municipalities, departments and entities through the speedy conclusion of disciplinary hearings and criminal cases, the appointment of competent senior managers in key positions, addressing the skills gap in financial management and infrastructure and resolving weakness in the supply chain management.
With Limpopo province on its knees after the lockdown, we can no longer allow corruption to go unpunished. ANC politicians and officials must be held accountable and punished for looting the provincial coffers.
The DA hopes that this arrest is the first of many in our province and that those who are really pulling the strings of corruption are also arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to jail regardless of political connection.