The Democratic Alliance in Limpopo will write to MEC of the Limpopo Treasury requesting that monies allocated to Limpopo’s Economic Development Agency (LEDA) are ringfenced for operational costs – and that the outrageous remuneration paid to LEDA’s Executives (some of which exceeds that of the President) is paid from the SOE’s own revenue.
We will also request a breakdown of the qualifications and experience of LEDA’s executive given their outrageous renumeration and the poor and mismanaged state of the SOE, and for details of the grossly exorbitant subsistence and travel (S&T) claims paid out to these executives – including the regularity and number of sittings of LEDA’s board.
LEDA, which is unable to sustain itself, and is bailed out by the provincial treasury year on year, is paying its executive members more than the President. Members of Limpopo’s Select Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) were shattered on receiving documents which revealed that some members of the Limpopo Economic Development Agency are earning more than R4 million per annum.
Two of the executives receive in excess R4 million per year, higher than the R3,9 million earned by the President of the Country. Eight members earn more than R2,4 million per annum, more than Ministers of the South African Cabinet, with several earning more than the Premier of Limpopo.
A repulsive R62 369 447 was spent on the emoluments of LEDA’s executive group.
Adding to the insult, some members of the LEDA board were paid S&T claims to the outrageous tune of R788 127, R389 239, R379 069 and R248 816 respectively, whilst others’ claims varied between R7 950 and R115 388 for the year in question.
A cumulative R2 747 672 was paid out in S&T claims.
As the DA in Limpopo, we are absolutely appalled by these revelations, the magnitude of which is insulting to the people of Limpopo, many of whom are jobless, live in poverty, and have little hope given the failure of LEDA in driving economic development in the province.
We are on record as constantly calling for the cessation of the continual bailing out of failing SOE’s. Our SOE’s are there to deliver, not to ensure the enrichment of comrades, cadres, and cronies at the expense of Limpopo’s citizenry.
We will not tolerate LEDA being operated as a gravy train to maintain the lavish lifestyles of an elite, whilst joblessness and poverty escalates. There can be no justification for these excesses as exposed in SCOPA. The LEDA gravy train must be stopped in its tracks.