Municipality employee alleges over R600 million in irregular spending

An employee at the Mogalakwekana Municipality in Mokopane, Limpopo, is accusing his employer of corruption. A whistle-blower, Victor Mokonyane, has circulated information, including on social media, alleging that the municipal authorities are using some projects to siphon off millions of rands.

Mokonyane claims that more than R600 million has been irregularly spent. He says that some funds were spent painting the water reservoirs and legal bills amongst others.

“Corruption is rife in Mogalakwena local Municipality. The corruption is so rife that everything in Mogalakwena Municipality is on a rental basis. Painting of dams costs R78-million and this is not for construction. Legal fees have cost more than R67-million. So far the Municipality has spent a total of R632-million in less than 16 months.”

Mogalakwena Municipal Mayor Ngoako Tauetsoala denies the allegations.

“All reservoirs that we are refurbishing, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is there with us. Each and every payment that we are doing, the DWS is there. There is no way that we can make any payment [without DWS].

“Those are just unfounded allegations. If the allegations that were raised by one of our employees exist, they would have appeared on the findings of the Auditor General,” the Mayor argues.