Source http://www.groundup.co.za: (One of learners walking bare-footed to school)
By BAKANG MOKOTO
The North West Community Safety and Transport Management department is under siege after a startling report of irregular expenditure to the alleged amount of R1bn. The matter has left many learners especially from far-flung areas stranded with no school transport.
North West Community Safety and Transport Management department MEC, Dr Mpho Motlhabane said they have launched investigations regarding irregular expenditure on the matter.
Motlhabane said what has happened is that the then Executive Committee (Exco) resolved that the function should go to transport agency, North West Transport Investments SOC Ltd. He said the current Exco has reversed that decision after they experienced some unforeseen challenges in terms of implementation of that function.
“The Exco has now resolved again to bring back the function to the department. Remember, we have a fully-fledged unit that works with scholar transport. The department can confirm that it has taken both scholar transport contracts (the previous one in 2010 and the current one) to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for investigation.
“There are many companies that are rendering their services and we will ensure that service delivery is not interrupted amid court cases. The department has monitoring firms that will bring necessary intervention if need be,” he said.
Motlhabane added that there were many issues that were raised hence they conducted investigations. He said also the Audit General (AG) report reflected on this matter.
“Remember, these matters were raised back in 2010 and they led to the irregular expenditure that you see in the media that the department is having a big figure when it comes to irregular expenditure,” he said.
Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Community Safety and Transport Management in North West, Sello Motswenyane said: “Learners do not have transport to school, but ANC still protects those implicated in forensic report.
We will write to Motlhabane requesting him to urgently pay scholar transport service providers. Some of them have been outstanding for as long as seven months. During the meeting by the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management, Motlhabane implied that the service providers failed to produce the relevant documentation to qualify for payment.
“This is a clear indication that Motlhabane is not taking responsibility for poor governance in his department. Proper procurement processes were not followed and the MEC needs to explain why documents such as tax clearance certificates were not produced before the service providers were appointed.
He said the non-payment of scholar transport service providers has far reaching consequences, leaving learners stranded and thus excluded from essential education. Motswenyane added that the NTI clearly lacks substantial turnaround strategies, dashing all hopes of providing solutions to the scholar transport challenges in the province.
“During their presentation it became apparent that the NTI were unable to reach the set targets for the first quarter. Instead of providing workable solutions, pressing issues were shelved to be dealt with in the second quarter of the financial year. This is a blatant attempt to cover up the long-term corruption that has tainted its image beyond repair.
“The fact that the forensic report by Mochabapula Consulting Services on NTI has been outstanding since 2013 further supports the view that cronies are protected and the large-scale looting is hidden from the public at all costs,” he said.
The Guardian 