By OBAKENG MAJE
The South African National Civic Organization (SANCO) in the North West said it is deeply disappointed by yet another revelation of corruption within the Matlosana Local Municipality. SANCO provincial spokesperson, Mzukisi Jam said it is really disturbing to witness the level of corruption within both the administrative and political offices of this municipality.
Jam further said nonetheless, they commend the media and law enforcement agencies for their unwavering commitment to uncovering corruption and urge them to persist in their efforts. He added that a recent report by Sunday Independent online news has exposed yet another corruption scandal involving the Whip of the Council, Khaya Ndincede and again the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Matlosana Municipality, Mercy Phetla.
“The two stand accused of misusing a municipal vehicle and credit card/petrol card for personal gain at the expense of taxpayers. It is unspeakable to see how they shamelessly abused state resources while holding higher positions and being well compensated.
“At least all the evidence on the misuse of the vehicle and petrol card is detailed in the letter written by the Municipal Fleet Maintenance Unit Superintendent, Raymond Holele to his superiors, dated
15 November 2023.
“Sunday Independent has also published parts of the evidence from the municipal fleet records, WhatsApp messages, and images showing the car at some point being damaged and the extent to which it was misused with the petrol card. With all this evidence, we envisage seeing these corrupt officials being convicted, thereby sending a strong message that corruption will never be tolerated in government,” said Jam.
He said SANCO also calls for all the officials with evidence to come forward and testify to strengthen the state case against these corrupt individuals. Jam said the municipality’s reaction to this issue and towards accountability is also deeply concerning.
“It is unacceptable that taxpayer funds intended for service delivery are being squandered for personal gain, with no accountability to the public as no one in the municipality has responded to these allegations.
“According to the Sunday Independent, despite repeated attempts to seek clarification, neither Ndincede nor Phetla has provided any explanation for their actions. Apparently, even the Matlosana Local Municipality spokesperson, Ntswaki Makgetha, did not respond to questions despite promises to do so,” he said.
Jam said as SANCO, they are profoundly disturbed by the level of corruption within the municipality. He said it appears that those entrusted with serving the community have abandoned their responsibilities and focusing their efforts on their personal enrichment.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to monitoring and condemning corruption. We call for an extensive SIU investigation into the Matlosana Local Municipality and for the removal of all corrupt individuals from government institutions.
“These corrupt individuals are continuing to tarnish the name and integrity of the ANC, and we urge for decisive action to be taken to restore trust in our government. The fight against corruption must be intensified and we stand ready as SANCO to collaborate with the ANC and other stakeholders to rid our provincial government of corruption for the betterment of our communities,” he said.
The Guardian 