The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Polokwane has submitted written questions to the Speaker of Council, Welhemina Modiba, on the R41 million reimbursement to a private developer.
The reimbursement made was allegedly for bulk services at Ivy Park Extension 36, also known as Ivy Royal Manor.
Leaked documentation received by the DA confirm that despite a clear service agreement placing the responsibility for connecting infrastructure on the developer, the Polokwane Municipality allegedly inexplicably refunded a substantial portion of the R46 million initially paid by the developer in 2023.
This blatant disregard for the agreement raise red flags about the decision-making and financial oversight within the Municipality.
The DA demands immediate clarity on the justification of this payment and insists on a full disclosure of the budget line item and vote that was utilised to facilitate this refund.
During the 2024/2025 draft budget engagements, the DA already flagged an allocation of R9.4 million under the capital budget labelled “Ivy Royal Manor”—which appeared to represent the outstanding balance owed to the developer.
Alarmingly, once we raised our concerns, this allocation was suddenly removed from the budget tabled to Council.
The DA, demanding full transparency and immediate accountability. We are calling for a detailed report to be tabled before Council without delay. Should the report confirm any wrongdoing or irregularities, we will push for a comprehensive and independent investigation and consider any further relevant steps.