BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE in the province said the power to change the future of the North West, lies in the hands of vote who government must fear and respect. The DA member of the legislature, Chris Hattingh said they believe in accountable, responsive government that is fair, that promotes freedom and that opens opportunities to all people.

“It can therefore never be accepted that Premier Supra Mahumapelo has just given the top job in this province – the Director-General of the provincial government – to an individual who the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority are pursuing for fraud and corruption of R250 million.

“It is a crime against the people of the North West who struggle every day to get ahead, and the premier chooses to give jobs to R250 million corruption suspects,” he said.

According to Hattingh, the new Director-General, Lydia Sebego, will now receive a salary package in the region of R1.5 million per year, despite being deeply compromised by a forensic audit.

The DA said they will challenge this appointment and said what they only see is jobs for pals, jobs for friends, jobs for family, while the tragedy of unemployment for everyone else.

“It can never be accepted that premier Mahumapelo runs this province like his own private spaza shop. The people of this province can change the future, and with their vote, they can tell Mahumapelo that the province will not accept a culture of turning a blind eye to corruption and fraud.

“It is high-time too that he [Mahumapelo] admits that municipal governance in the North West is in crisis, and is not being turned around. Seven municipalities cannot function at all on their own and are under Provincial intervention,” he said.

According to Hattingh, Mahumapelo is also covering up the outcomes of the Special Investigating Unit’s reports into all North West Municipalities, which were initiated by Proclamation R27 of 2009. He said Mahumapelo, like previous North West Premiers, has hidden the outcomes and not a single report has been made public in the North West Legislature

“The DA believes that freedom, fairness and opportunity for all must be realised in the North West, through the transfer of power and the voting in of a DA government,” Hattingh concluded.

However the provincial acting spokesperson, Brian Setswambung refuted the claims by DA nad said the premier screened both employees before being offered employment. “We will like to refute the claim that the Director-General, Dr Lydia Sebego and Vuyo Mabulawa were hired while having criminal records in their names. We screened them and at the time, there were no case pending against them,” Setswambung said.

Provincial spokesperson, Frank Lesenyego said: “This matter involves the allocation of tenders to provide equipment to two hospitals in the North West Province which are Moses Kotane and Vryburg.  Some equipment were paid for and not delivered and other items were delivered contrary to service level agreements.  The total amount involved is R250 million.”

He saId the matter was investigated by the HAWKS (DPCI) Commercial Crime Unit situated in Klerksdorp was first reported to the SCCU Regional Office in Mmabatho on 13 February 2014 by representatives of National Treasury and Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo auditors, as instructed by National Treasury.

Lesenyego said the investigation was guided by the prosecution and most of the investigation, contained in a great number of lever arch files, was finalised by Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo and the investigation officer towards the end of April 2015.

“We are, however, awaiting a complete cash flow analysis from the Financial Asset Forfeiture Investigative Unit (FAFI) of the DPCI before a final decision will be made regarding the matter,” he said.

-TDN

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