Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Jóhni Steenkamp
The DA in North West once again wrote to the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment, Conservation, and Tourism (DEDECT) in the North West Provincial Legislature, Mpho Khunou, imploring him to urgently summon the MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation, and Tourism, Bitsa Lenkopane, to account for the chaos and disfunctionality in her department and in the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB).
The DA is outraged by the latest revelations surrounding the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB) following a shocking radio interview this week, when the MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation, and Tourism, Bitsa Lenkopane, finally admitted that she has no control over her department, and public funds are being mismanaged on a massive scale.
Despite claims that the state has been hijacked by business forums and corrupt elements, she still transferred R45 million to the NWPTB in November and another R18 million in January. She also admitted that she only requested financial projections after making these payments.
In her interview, Lenkopane also revealed that money has been funnelled into ghost NGOs that do not even exist and that suppliers were paid without following supply chain management processes. Large sums of money cannot be accounted for.
She also claimed that she has been conducting an “analysis” of her entities for the past six months; however, she continued to pay millions without proper oversight.
Lenkopane also admitted that the newly appointed Acting CEO of the NWPTB has only been in office for four days when issuing a memo stating that salaries would not be paid.
Despite these damning admissions, the MEC still refuses to acknowledge the reality of the crisis unfolding under her watch. She insists she will “not inherit any nonsense” from the previous administration.
The people of North West cannot afford to wait for her to drag her feet in her so-called investigation while livelihoods are destroyed.
The NWPTB is in freefall, and the MEC’s reckless handling of funds has only worsened the situation. Employees have gone unpaid, financial controls have collapsed, and millions are disappearing into dubious contracts and unregistered NGOs. Yet, instead of taking immediate action when the first signs of mismanagement appeared, the MEC continued to pour money into this abyss.
The DA demands that the MEC appear before the Portfolio Committee to explain why she continued transferring millions to a failing entity without proper oversight.
We also demand a complete and independent forensic investigation to be launched into all payments made to the NWPTB, including the R45 million in November and R18 million in January.
All officials and board members responsible for the mismanagement of funds and unauthorised payments must be suspended immediately, pending the outcome of investigations, and employees must be paid their outstanding salaries without any further delay.
The people of North West deserve transparency and accountability, not endless excuses and finger-pointing. The MEC cannot continue to act as if she is merely an observer. This crisis happened on her watch, and she must take full responsibility for the chaos that has unfolded.
The DA will not stand by while public funds are looted, workers go unpaid, and essential services collapse. We will continue to fight for accountability.