The DA in Limpopo is deeply concerned about the ongoing corruption and malfeasant governance, committed with impunity, that has brought Phalaborwa—once a thriving town with proud residents—to its knees.
The town’s infrastructure is in a state of severe decay. Most roads are riddled with potholes that worsen and multiply with every rainfall. Residents are forced to endure raw sewage running through their properties and down the streets. Raw sewage flows into and pollutes the Kruger National Park. Many residents have not had a reliable water supply in years and suffer. Frequent electricity outages worsen when summer rains seep into overly-patched cables that need replacement and no ring mains remain for alternative supply. The town’s economy suffers.
Corruption and malfeasant governance have hollowed out the municipality, rendering it impotent and incapable of taking corrective action. Mayor Malatji has openly admitted in public meetings that the Ba-Phalaborwa municipality lacks the resources to fix the damage that the ANC-led administration has allowed to fester and collapse.
Yet, no one has been held accountable by the ANC-dominated municipality or faced any consequences. In fact, it appears that ANC cadres are being protected, with their misdemeanours swept under the carpet of impunity.
A prime example is the reported imminent prosecution of the municipality’s former Municipal Manager, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who now serves as Minister in the Presidency. The corrupt actions for which she now faces prosecution were committed over a decade ago, yet during this time, the municipality took no action against her.
It was only after the Polokwane High Court referred an incident of a ‘clear contravention of the provisions of the MFMA by officials of the municipality’ to the NPA, in a case where the municipality sought to revoke a tender, that Ntshavheni was finally brought under scrutiny and is now facing her day of reckoning.
Ntshavheni‘s reign as Municipal Manager was and she should be held accountable for the damage and malfeasance wrought upon the municipality and the community – apart from the matter at hand.
It is clear to the DA in Limpopo, and to the court, that the ANC-led municipality had no intention of holding their cadre accountable. In fact, they were intent on protecting her malfeasance and corrupt actions. As Judge Gerrit Muller remarked in the application to set aside the tender, he had the distinct impression that “officials were being protected to the detriment of the public” and that “the impact of corrupt activities is so devastating and repugnant that the courts should do all in their power to ensure that nobody should benefit from those activities, much less those in powerful positions.”
Sadly, Ntshavheni’s impending prosecution is a rare victory for the public and the town of Phalaborwa. As the DA in Limpopo, we agree with the Judge’s assertion that “little, if anything, has been done in Limpopo, in particular, to prosecute corrupt officials and others who benefit from corrupt activities.”
As the DA in Limpopo we reiterate the call from our national colleague, Dianne Kohler Barnard, MP, that no Minister who is accused of corruption should retain their seat in Cabinet.
When Ntshavheni stands in the dock and faces judgment, so too will the ANC.