Picture: North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
The Democratic Alliance in North West calls on the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe the mounting corruption allegations at the North West Community Safety and Transport Management. The DA provincial spokesperson on Community Safety and Transport Management, Freddy Sonakile alleged that, there are various questionable operations taking place within the department that is under Sello Lehari as MEC.
“The department has recently been implicated in serious allegations of maladministration, corruption, and fraud including the appointment of the Business Rescue Practitioner (BRP) at the North West Transport Investments (NTI), which is a subsidiary of the department.
“It is alleged that the BRP opened a separate bank account and is not accounting for the use of public funds. It is also worth noting that this department is also subject to SIU investigation into questionable scholar transport contracts under Proclamation R2 of 2018 as well as the R253 million Hawks/SA Express case recommended for investigation by the Zondo Commission,” said Sonakile.
He further said, it is disturbing that, this department, which is responsible for two vital core competencies in North West, namely transport – a backbone of the provincial economy and community safety – which must ensure the safety of residents continues to be embroiled by allegations of corruption, mismanagement, fraud, and other irregularities.
Sonakile added that a full-scale probe is urgently needed. Meanwhile, the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari said: “With the support of the shareholder, we have intervened at the NTI. The entity resumes operations on Monday and we are unwavering in ensuring that the North West Provincial Government (NWPG)-owned NTI is restored to profitability.
“The entity has been experiencing administrative and financial difficulties that led it to apply for voluntary business rescue. This compounded challenges even further with creditors including employees being unpaid for more than three months.”
Lehari said they must work harder to ensure that the entity is completely turned around and fully sustainable. He said they must ensure that NTI is able to generate revenue and pay creditors and ensure no employee goes unpaid again.
“In a quest to ensure the entity is restored, the department as shareholder, has been engaging all stakeholders including worker representatives. The operation will resume on Monday and we will ensure that all outstanding salaries are also expedited for full resumption of operations at all NTI depots.
“The engagement with other stakeholders continues. The department officials have been participating alongside other stakeholders to draft a turnaround strategy for the entity and this must be implemented without delay,” he said.
The Guardian 