Claims that the Mayor Khumalo Molefe and the CFO redirected the water budget to construct fire stations. Picture: Supplied
THE Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West initially allocated a budget for water services.
However, funds meant for maintaining water supply have reportedly been exhausted after claims that the Mayor and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) redirected the water budget to construct fire stations and pay preferred service providers.
The municipality that houses the capital of the province, Mafikeng, is in shock as dirty conditions and dry taps remain unaddressed, with very little to show for the R1.4 billion budget allocated for the 2024/25 financial year.
Senior officials in the municipality have expressed concerns regarding the undermining of the Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes by Mayor Khumalo Molefe and the CFO Galaletsang Moroane.
A source informed the Sunday Independent that the CFO was paying service providers without notifying the municipal manager as required by law.
Compounding the issue was the allegation that the Mayor held meetings with a group of local businesspeople at a venue called PH Restaurant in Mafikeng.
These meetings were intended to organise protests against certain officials and managers, disrupt services, and make unreasonable demands to redirect projects.
The source indicated that the Municipal Manager was receiving instructions from junior officials to implement 17 intervention projects that were neither planned nor budgeted for.
Attempts to obtain a comment from the municipality were unsuccessful, and Molefe also did not respond to the publication's inquiries.
When asked for clarification, Mohamed Rassol, the Senior Manager of Public Works and Basic Services, stated that his unit had made several requests to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to procure water services. However, these submissions were not being addressed in a timely manner.
“At times, the document is left on her desk for months. There are pressures on the ground, and the water teams are working to address these issues. As a Water Service Authority (WSA), we must provide water to the communities we serve. Additionally, the executive mayor makes verbal promises and instructs the water team to intervene. However, when they act on these instructions, it is often deemed irregular.”
When asked about the plans for this fiscal year regarding projects that were not budgeted, he stated that Molefe and the CFO had alternative plans.
“We submitted proposals for various projects, including some that were procured without following Supply Chain Management (SCM) procedures. However, the CFO and mayor allocated a limited budget for my department and chose to invest in fire stations, which is an unfunded mandate for the municipality”.
Rassol added that some local service providers had previously harassed him in his office, demanding payments.
“As a department, we have submitted payment requests, including projects that were not budgeted for. However, there are claims that subcontractors, whom the executive mayor invited to a meeting on September 24 at a location called PH, were asked to oppose me, as I am the one refusing to authorise payment,” he replied.
Rassol dismissed the allegations that he was never at the office of an official at the SCM and stated that employees and managers felt demotivated after the projects they implemented at Khumalo's instructions were deemed irregular.
Monamedi Abraham Senwedi, the Manager for Water Services at the municipality, mentioned that while the district municipality has a Water Services Development Plan (WSDP), the water supply in the municipality remains inadequate.
“The limited financial resources available to the municipality for the implementation of infrastructure projects limit the impact of the municipality’s deliverables due to dependence on only MIG grant. The municipality’s equitable share is not sufficient to fund projects, as it is used to sustain operation and maintenance services.”
He refuted claims that his unit and the mayor had committed to 17 intervention projects that were neither planned nor budgeted for without following the procurement process.
“12 Intervention Projects were budgeted and planned for to be implemented using equitable share and tax returns due to Community unrests Insufficient water supply in new settlements Vandalism of infrastructure and breakdowns.
“The other projects were influenced by challenges we face within our communities, compounded by court orders and directives from Chapter Nine institutions.”
Senwedi felt that the nature of the relationship between politics and administration, as well as the respective roles, powers, and functions of the political office and public servants in the municipal space, was viewed by the public as problematic.
In April, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) issued a statement criticising the government for not delivering services to the Mahikeng residents following reports that police fired rubber bullets at the disgruntled residents who were protesting for service delivery.
The primary concerns related to the poor condition of roads, inadequate stormwater management, and the accumulation of rubbish in their neighbourhoods.
The residents complained at the time that these issues had been neglected for far too long and that they were having a detrimental impact on their daily lives.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za