Note to Editors: Please find the attached soundbite in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Coenrad Herbst, DA Councillor in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls for the immediate dismissal of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipal Manager, Jerry Mononela, who authorised and actioned an advance payment of R13 million to a contractor for a pipeline project that failed to see the commencement of any civil works three months later.
The contractor was appointed last year to build a water pipeline from Bloemhof to Olivenfontein to upgrade the inadequate water infrastructure and alleviate water cuts in Schweizer-Reneke.
Residents in Schweizer-Reneke regularly experience water cuts which sometimes lasts up to 5 months at a stretch due to the inadequate water infrastructure in Mamusa Local Municipality.
Bulk water is transported by trucks which cost the municipality millions. This has become nothing but a lucrative business for ANC-connected individuals.
The water pipeline project was supposed to be completed in 2017, but due to the R250 million that was invested in VBS by the municipality, the project was delayed.
To date, no work has commenced, but the contractor claimed R13 million for materials that were signed off by the Municipal Manager and the former Mayor.
The information was brought to the Council’s attention through a whistleblower, following which a Council meeting was scheduled to discuss both the Municipal Manager and the Mayor’s involvement.
The first meeting which was held on 9 February 2021 failed to progress as ANC councillors deliberately stopped it. A second meeting was held on 19 February 2021 with the absence of the Municipal Manager and Mayor.
A special Council meeting was held on 25 February 2021 and a motion of no confidence in the Executive Mayor was tabled and carried.
The Municipal Manager refuses to attend Council meetings and has instructed the administration staff not to attend. Council took a resolution that the Municipal Manager must within 7 days write to Council informing them of why he shouldn’t be suspended.
The advance payment to the contractor without work was gross mismanagement by the Municipal Manager and he must be removed from his position.
Dr Ruth Segomotsi District Municipality is plagued by service delivery challenges, apart from water cuts there is sewage overflowing in Ipelegeng that needs to be addressed. Most of the municipality’s construction projects are years behind the scheduled completion date.
The already cash-strapped municipality cannot afford to pay contractors money for work that has not been done.
It is clear that years of ANC mismanagement, its cadre deployment policy and the factional ANC party political battles to loot the municipality’s coffers have resulted in the deterioration of services and the collapse of good governance.
The ANC is not capable of self-correcting. The people of Schweizer-Reneke and the entire district municipality must use this year’s local elections to vote out the failing ANC and elect a party that will prioritise service delivery and fight corruption. The DA is the only party with a clean track record of good governance and a commitment to fight corruption head-on.