Mahikeng – North West government officials are expected to appear before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) this week over their handling of the lucrative D-Account for mining royalties.

Mining companies deposit royalties for tribal communities into the account, which recently came under scrutiny after allegations emerged that it has been looted for many years, the Sunday Independent reported.

The account, which has not been audited since 1994, has had large sums of money withdrawn from it – money which cannot be accounted for.

Officials from the North West departments of finance and local government are expected to appear before Scopa public hearings to explain their departments’ roles in the handling of the account.

Lonmin confirmed last week that they had paid R372m into the account between 1970 and 2011.

The money is earmarked for the Bapo ba Mogale community. 

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