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Councillors boycott Speakers’ forum

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A whistle-blower has alleged that district municipalities incurred irregular expenditure by funding Speakers to attend a meeting in Groblershoop, which never took place last week.

The !Kheis council chamber was empty at the time when the Speaker’s forum was supposed to convene. Picture: Supplied

A WHISTLE-BLOWER has alleged that district municipalities incurred irregular expenditure by funding Speakers to attend a meeting in Groblershoop, which never took place last week.

A by-election was held in Ward 6 of the !Kheis Municipality on October 8-9, the same dates the Speakers’ forum was scheduled to convene.

The ward was won by ANC candidate Junine Patricia Priscilla Ludick, taking control from the DA.

According to the whistle-blower, only the Speakers from Kgatelopele and Tsantsabane municipalities arrived in Groblershoop, following an invitation from the ZF Mgcawu Speaker. It was unclear, however, whether they attended the meeting.

The whistle-blower further claimed that the cash-strapped Kgatelopele Municipality had approved travel and subsistence allowances, along with accommodation and petrol expenses, for the Speaker and his driver’s trip to Groblershoop.

“The Speaker was seen campaigning for the by-election while the !Kheis council chamber was empty on both days in question,” said the whistle-blower.

An anonymous complaint was also lodged with the Kgatelopele municipal manager, questioning the Speaker’s indigent status, which apparently allowed him to enjoy free electricity and services.

According to the letter, only vulnerable residents who genuinely required financial assistance were supposed to be registered as indigents.

“The Speaker holds a position of authority and receives a salary that disqualifies him from accessing these benefits,” it noted.

Neither Kgatelopele Municipality nor its Speaker responded to media enquiries, while !Kheis Municipality declined to comment.

The ZF Mgcawu District Municipality spokesperson, Martha Clarke, said that Speakers from Dawid Kruiper, !Kheis, Kai !Garib, Tsantsabane, and Kgatelopele local municipalities had been invited to attend the Speakers’ forum on October 8-9 at !Kheis Municipality to outline their roles and responsibilities.

“Councillor William Peterson, as the Speaker of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality, considers it crucial to manage the co-ordination of Speakers’ activities across the district. The meeting was convened to assess the status of district municipalities and present proposals for turnaround strategies, especially for !Kheis and Kai !Garib local municipalities,” Clarke said.

She stated that no apologies were submitted excusing the Speakers from the meeting.

“The meeting was attended by a member of the mayoral committee of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality on behalf of councillor Peterson as the chairperson and Speaker of the !Kheis Local Municipality.”

She added that no costs were incurred in terms of the subsistence, travel and accommodation, due to the absence of participants.

“The Speakers’ forum was co-ordinated by the Office of the Speaker of ZF Mgcawu. No funds were spent on the use of the venue as the meeting was to take place at the !Kheis council chambers. No expenses were incurred by the district for this forum.”

Clarke stated that public resources and funds were only allocated to provide services and develop infrastructure.

“We strictly prohibit the use of any public resources, including financial allocations, assets, or personnel, for political activities, partisan interests, or election campaigning. Such actions undermine the principles of fairness, accountability and good governance.

“We hold all municipal officials and employees to high ethical standards. Any misuse of public funds will be subjected to the relevant disciplinary action. Public funds must not be utilised for political purposes.”

She added that councillors were permitted to conduct personal business and interests in their spare time, provided that it did not conflict with their responsibilities as public representatives, violate any laws or compromise the integrity or reputation of the municipality.

“The ZF Mgcawu District Municipality will take decisive action against any improper financial practices,” Clarke said.

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