DA warns against Matlosana attempt to appeal Eskom court judgement

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Johannes le Grange.

The DA in the City of Matlosana Local Municipality rejected the Council’s decision to amend its minutes in order to proceed with its attempt to appeal the current court order by Eskom to set aside the attachment of the Council’s bank account, regardless of the Council’s legal opinion.

On 28 July, during the Matlosana Council debate on the update report on Eskom debt, the DA was surprised by the addition of two points, namely that the current financial plan should be implemented without failure and that an item of the Financial Recovery Plan be submitted in the next Council meeting.

The DA reiterates the call and motion to immediately implement the DA’s Financial Recovery Plan, as approved by the Council, in conjunction with the North West Provincial Legislator’s Financial Recovery Plan.

The DA would like to caution against the ANC’s attempt to appeal the court order and while we distance ourselves, we will not hesitate to take further action against every individual who was involved in the decision to appeal as they must be held accountable.

Eskom is entitled to payment, and Matlosana’s only responsibility is to negotiate a workable repayment plan. It is the responsibility of this municipality to identify and bridge the gap between all stakeholders. The DA urges the Matlosana community to pay their bills on time, and those who are unable to do so to come forward and make the necessary arrangements.

It is unfortunate that this municipality has been unable to honour its previous agreement of R388 million since 2020, which has now escalated to a whopping R1.1 billion.

We are members of this multiparty government and urge the ANC to stop using its numbers to persuade and bulldoze every decision in their favour. We will not be held accountable for decisions of this nature that fail.

We urge the community not to give up hope and to vote for the DA because it is the only party that gets things done.

DA probes R47 million spent on deserted Manyane Game Lodge

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbite in English by Freddy Sonakile MPL.

The DA in North West demands answers about the R47 million spent on the development of the Manyane Game Lodge in Mahikeng, which is now abandoned. See image here.

Following an oversight inspection at the lodge yesterday, we were unable to identify the extent of the renovations that were supposed to be completed in November 2015.

The renovated buildings had been vandalized, and there are no security measures in place. One structure contained construction materials that have not been used. See images here, here, and here.

The Department of Tourism through its entity, the North West Parks & Tourism Board, reportedly spent R47 million on refurbishing the lodge in 2016 to promote local tourism. The Department indicated then that the project progress was at 90% completion on refurbishments by the appointed contractor, Re a Aga Infrastructure (Pty) Ltd.

The DA will table urgent questions to the MEC for Tourism, Kenetswe Mosenogi, to account for the dilapidated and dysfunctional state of the lodge despite the millions spent. It is evident, from our visit there yesterday that this was fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

In addition, we want to know what the Department of Tourism intends to do with the lodge, what budget allocations have been made, what will be done to secure the lodge, what game is currently on the property, the extent of the game fencing, when the lodge will become operational for the public and what current positions are filled, the details surrounding vacancies, and the annual salary bill.

The DA will also write to the Auditor-General to bring to her attention the incurred wasteful expenditure on Manyane Game Lodge and request a forensic investigation into the project.

At a time when economic development should be at the top of the government’s priority list, a lodge that could generate revenue for the province has been abandoned. The ANC government has once again demonstrated through this project that it was never interested in governing North West.

Madibeng without a Municipal Manager after Speaker overturns her own illegal appointment

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Erna Rossouw.

The DA in Madibeng welcomes the acknowledgment of the Speaker, Cllr Ditshego Mbedzi, that she had no authority to appoint an Acting Municipal Manager during the previous Special Council Meeting which was held earlier in July.

This acknowledgment was made during a Special Council meeting this week where it was resolved that the Executive Mayor, Cllr Douglas Maimane, write a letter to the COGTAHS MEC, Lenah Miga, to second a suitable person to serve as Acting Municipal Manager until such time as a permanent appointment can be made.

The DA objected to a 60-day request for secondment as it can lead to maladministration and Council resolved that the Mayor must submit a request to the MEC within 14 days, failing which the DA will write to the National Minister Cooperative Governance, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to intervene.

The DA posed questions during the Council Meeting, but satisfactory explanations were not forthcoming.

The DA sought clarity on the following:

• Where is the intervention of the Provincial Government in terms of Section 139(5) interventions?
• Whether the MEC was informed that Madibeng is currently operating without a Municipal Manager?
• Whether Madibeng is conducting its daily operations and functions in compliance with the Law?

MEC Miga held a workshop on Section 139(5) Financial Intervention in Madibeng, and Council approved this decision in May, however, the intervention is yet to realise and the municipality is still on the verge of financial collapse.

The DA in Madibeng is concerned about service delivery, instability, and the delay in the appointment of skilled, and qualified senior officials. We will closely monitor the appointment of a qualified and skilled Municipal Manager.

DA lays criminal charges and requests HRC to investigate raw sewage floods in Tswaing

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Lizzy Callaghan.

The DA in Tswaing today laid criminal charges against the Municipal Manager of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Mr Allen Losaba, for failure to comply with the provisions of the Water Services Act and the Constitution to ensure the effective management of raw sewage in Sannieshof and Ottosdal. (Case number: Cas 63/7/2022).

In addition to the criminal case, we have also requested the Human Rights Commission to investigate the failure of Ngaka Modiri to uphold the constitutional provision as per Section 24, which guarantees the rights of residents to live in an environment that is not harmful to their health and wellbeing and that is free from pollution and degradation.

Both towns have been flooded with raw sewage as Ngaka Modiri has failed to service about 440 residential septic tanks with a capacity of 12 000 litres and 72 business septic tanks with an average capacity of 28 000 litres.

Sannieshof and Ottosdal have been flooded by raw sewage as septic tanks overflow. See pictures here, here and here. Residents are forced to walk and drive through raw sewage. This poses a serious health risk to residents.

The raw sewage also poses a risk to contaminate underground water with E. coli, posing a secondary risk of disease since all residents are largely dependent on borehole water.

AfriForum has previously obtained a court order to compel Ngaka Modiri to ensure effective basic service delivery, specifically in sanitation and water services, but the municipality continues to undermine this judgement and is in contempt of court.

Ngaka Modiri Molema has only provided two unlicenced honeysucker trucks with a limited capacity of 7 500 litres to service these two Tswaing towns, surrounding villages and clinics with a collective sewage capacity of more than 40 000 litres. These two trucks are currently in for repair work in Lichtenburg, which resulted in the massive overflow of raw sewage. Furthermore, the truck drivers are unlicenced.

Ngaka Modiri has failed to make alternative interim provisions for sanitation services in the, leaving residents in Sannieshof and Ottosdal to sit with their hands in their hair and their feet in sewage as a result. See video here.

The DA in Tswaing reported the sewage problems to the Tswaing municipality, but the concerns were shrugged off and the blame was shifted to Ngaka Modiri — both ANC-governed municipalities. We also reported the complaints from residents, along with photos and videos, to Allen Losaba, Municipal Manager of Ngaka Modiri Molema, as well as the Mayor, Cllr Khumalo Molefe. A copy was also sent to COGTAHS MEC, Lenah Miga, but no response has been received.

The ANC obviously could not care less about the plight of residents. It is time that residents in Tswaing return the favour and stop voting ANC.

The DA will follow both cases at the police and the Human Rights Commission closely. It is time that ANC cadres and their ANC political handlers end up in prison for failure to uphold the law.

DA reiterates call for Matlosana recovery plan after bank account seized for R1 bn Eskom debt

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Johannes Le Grange.

The DA in Matlosana Local Municipality is not surprised that the High Court granted relief to Eskom to attach the municipality’s bank account in a bid to recover R1 billion in bulk electricity debt. It is now more than evident why a financial recovery plan must be implemented.

Yesterday, Council met to deliberate the implications of the court order on the ability of the municipality to ensure that it meets its service delivery obligations towards residents.

The DA has repeatedly warned the ANC government of Matlosana that the financial situation is dire and proposed an implementable, thorough financial recovery plan, but the ANC chose to disregard our constructive engagements.

Matlosana is a delinquent debt offender, having deliberately failed to honour its R400 million payment agreement with Eskom to reduce the debt burden two years ago, which now puts the delivery of services at risk.

The only way to stabilise Matlosana’s finances is to implement the DA’s financial recovery plan. It includes:

• Improve revenue collection. Approximately 80 000 accounts are not being serviced and debt recovery should be implemented and services should be suspended to delinquent account holders;
• The roll-out of prepaid electricity and water meters;
• Establishment of a special task team to drastically reduce electricity losses, illegal connections and investigate municipal employees implicated in meter tampering;
• An outreach program to identify and assist with the registration of indigent benefits;
• Stop outsourcing of security personnel, refuse removal contractors, landfill site contractors, electrical and mechanical contractors, vehicle leasing contractors, meter reading contractors and all unnecessary consultants with inflated costs;
• Conduct a qualifications and skills audit in the financial department to upgrade professional financial decision making, accounting, reporting and overall supply chain management;
• Minimise wasteful expenditure and act against corruption.

Despite the dire financial situation, leaving Matlosana on the verge of collapse, Mayor James Tsolela and Speaker Stella Mondlane have ensured that new luxury vehicles to the value of R1,4 million are bought for their benefit instead of allocating every available cent towards debt repayment and the improvement of service delivery.

It is clear that the ANC in Matlosana is only interested in extracting benefits and financial gain for themselves instead of putting people first.

The DA in Matlosana will do everything in its power to ensure that service delivery does not become a casualty because of the ANC’s financial mismanagement.

DA opens HAWKS case to investigate fraudulent documents presented to pass unfunded budget

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Chris Hattingh.

The DA has registered fraud charges with the HAWKS after receiving confirmation from the North West Provincial Treasury that a forged document was used to persuade the JB Marks Council that its 2022/23 budget was funded and sustainable.

During the JB Marks budget debate, the DA repeatedly objected to the budget stating that:

• it was unfunded and not sustainable,
• that austerity measures be implemented,
• that the capital expenditure budget be prioritised and reduced according to priorities,
• and that the revenue streams of the municipality be protected and improved.

The DA then quoted from a Provincial Treasury Budget Assessment Report which confirmed the DA’s position that the budget was not only unfunded and non-sustainable, but that there were serious other deficiencies in the budget including that the municipality “must reduce capital expenditure and ensure that it is limited to available revenue”, and “must develop a budget funding plan” and “must develop and implement a strict cash flow plan”.

The DA further pointed out that the Revenue Budget indicated an inflated 99.6% collection rate while the past and current year’s collection rate is at an average of 87%.

During the debate, the ANC vehemently denied that the budget was unfunded. This was fuelled by the introduction of a forged Treasury document where two words were changed from the original, replacing the words “unfunded” and “unsustainable” with “funded” and “sustainable”.

The ANC then used its numbers, supplemented with late and suspicious support from the EFF, reversing their stance, to approve the budget.

The budget can be regarded as an insult to the JB Marks community paving the path to another wasted year. More of the collapse and deterioration of services can be expected.

The DA will continue its vigilance over the JB Marks finances and will continue to lay criminal charges in cases such as the forging of documents, theft, fraud and corruption, while demanding improved basic service delivery, to which all residents are entitled to.

Arrest of former Moretele & Matlosana MM vindicates DA’s fight against cadre deployment rot

The DA in the North West welcomes the arrest of the former Municipal Manager at the Moretele Local Municipality, Mr Theletsi Roger Nkhumise, for allegedly committing tender fraud through contravening the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), costing the taxpayer over R215 million.

Mr Nkhumise stands accused of wrongly, deliberately and unlawfully applying regulation 32 of the Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations when Moretele inherited ICT services from the Madibeng Local Municipality.

This resulted in Mr Nkhumise extending the original contract without following due process which saw R215,711,00.71 paid to the service provider Flame IT Strategy.

Despite the tender fraud charges that were hanging over his head when Mr Nkumise left the Moretele Local Municipality, the ANC still deemed it fit to redeploy and appoint him as Municipal Manager at Matlosana Local Municipality. This serves as the perfect example of how the ANC’s cadre deployment policy is a cancer to society and vindicates the DA’s attempts in court to have cadre deployment declared unconstitutional.

It is important to note that Mr Nkhumise, who was the Municipal Manager at Matlosana Local Municipality until the end of May 2022, is no stranger to controversy.

A report by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into the multi-million-rand PPE corruption scandal, released publicly on the 25th of January 2022, also made a criminal referral to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) against Mr Nkhumise for gross financial misconduct for contravening section 173 and 174 of the MFMA.

After raiding the City of Matlosana municipal offices in December 2020, the SIU found evidence that the municipality overpaid PPE service providers under the watch of Mr Nkhumise. He was then slapped with a final written warning while the criminal referral to the NPA is still pending.

The DA will continue to keep a close eye on the developments of this case, and we look forward to seeing similar arrests taking place. The DA will persist in our efforts to rid government of cadre deployment.

Madibeng’s R155 million payment to its bulk water account of R258 million may place service delivery at risk

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Jan van Rhyn.

The DA in the Madibeng Local Municipality notes that the City of Tshwane was granted relief to attach the municipality’s bank account to recover an outstanding bulk water debt of R258 million the North Gauteng High Court last week.

This is yet another indication of how the ANC-led government in Madibeng cannot manage the municipality’s finances.

Madibeng has since made a R155 million payment to Tshwane, which it should have done long ago, but it prompts the question of where Madibeng sourced this money from and why it was necessary for Tshwane to attach the municipality’s bank account before payment was made in the first place.

Madibeng and Tshwane entered into a payment agreement in August 2021 under which Madibeng undertook to settle its arrears for bulk water with Tshwane in instalments, but failed to honour the arrangements, forcing Tshwane to take this drastic step in approaching the High Court for relief.

Tshwane was well within its rights to pursue legal action against the delinquent Madibeng Local Municipality.

It is troubling that neither the Mayor nor the Acting Municipal Manager informed the Madibeng Council of Tshwane’s court application, Councillors only became aware of the legal action on the day the verdict was delivered.

Even though the DA welcomes the R155 million down payment, we have reservations about the way the matter was handled by Madibeng. The Municipal Council needs to be informed in time about any legal action against the municipality, especially in matters like this which may impact the municipality’s ability to ensure basic service delivery which might have dire consequences for the community.

The non-payment of suppliers has unfortunately become the norm in Madibeng, rather than the exception.

The discord and factional fights in the ANC, which are to the detriment of the community, are a major contributing factor to the municipality’s problems, with no political or administrative will from the governing ANC to do proper revenue collection and ensure effective financial management to improve service delivery.

The DA in Madibeng will do everything in its power to ensure that Madibeng deliver basic services to the community and will ask questions in Council where the money was allocated from for the payment of the bulk account, what additional payments are scheduled and when, and what measures the municipality is taking to ensure that basic service delivery remains funded.

The ANC has once again demonstrated its inability to govern in Madibeng.

Loadshedding of small dorpies causing misery as cable theft spikes and distribution grid collapse

Yesterday, the DA in the Tswaing Local Municipality conducted oversight inspections in Delareyville and Sannieshof to assess the impact various stages of loadshedding has on the community.

At the old age home, Huis Delarey, the impact of loadshedding is having a severe impact on the quality of life for elderly residents in need of special care. Following scheduled loadshedding on Tuesday, an underground main voltage cable exploded once electricity supply was restored after 4pm, leaving the facility without electricity until 3am yesterday morning.

The old age home was forced to contact the families of 89 elderly residents Tuesday morning to come and collect their relatives because the home was unable to provide the necessary care due to the uncertainty brought by the continuous loadshedding and subsequent blackouts due to cable theft and damage to the infrastructure.

The farming community is also negatively affected by loadshedding and additional electricity blackouts, delaying the transportation of harvests to silos since many hours are lost waiting for electricity supply to offload grains. Farmers are also hesitant to prepare fields for sowing wheat because the risk of extended electricity disruptions will negatively affect the irrigation of fields. Poultry farmers are losing the bulk of their hatchery batches due to the electricity outages.

To mitigate against the disaster of electricity disruptions, farmers are burning tens of thousands of rands of diesel to run generators to ensure that water is pumped, and that livestock are kept warm. Additionally, many farmers must invest in alternative energy sources to just ensure the basic running of their operations. This results in input costs skyrocketing and will lead to increases in food process and further constrain the entire agri-value chain resulting in job losses that we can ill afford.

NWK, for example, has 8 silo plants in the area. During blackouts, the additional cost to run each plant amounts up to R30 000 per day.

To prevent cable theft, farmers in the Tswaing-area have made available 52 bakkies at their own cost to patrol the major electricity lines during loadshedding and at night. Yesterday, 11 suspected cable thieves were arrested.

Small dorpies like Delareyville and Sannieshof struggle with interrupted electricity supply.

In Delareyville, the grid has not been upgraded for at least the last 25 years, while two additional towns were added to this old grid. This resulted in demand exceeding the supply, causing regular blackouts due to an overload of the system. The grid trips five or six times following a loadshedding session, causing massive damage to appliances and equipment.

Sannieshof is a popular target for cable theft during loadshedding. On Tuesday, cable thieves struck again for the 21st time in the last 10 months, leaving Sannieshof and surroundings without electricity for extended periods of time. Local farmers and SAPS have already made two successful arrests, but new teams of thieves show up as soon as loadshedding commence. It takes Eskom more than 24 hours each time to replace a stolen cable, while residents and businesses struggle through another day without electricity.

Following our engagements at Huis Delarey, and with the local agriculture union, the DA will write to the COGHSTA MEC, Lenah Miga, and Eskom to request that Tswaing be declared a crisis area and be exempt from loadshedding due to the dilapidated electricity distribution grid infrastructure and the prevalence of continuous cable theft.

Tswaing might be a rural municipality, but the impact and cost of loadshedding and blackouts have far reaching consequences that are suffocating communities.

Beurtkrag van klein dorpies veroorsaak ellende namate kabeldiefstal toeneem en die kragnetwerk ineenstort

Die DA in die Tswaing Plaaslike Munisipaliteit het gister ‘n oorsiginspeksie in Delareyville en Sannieshof gedoen om die impak van beurtkrag op die gemeenskap te bepaal.

By Huis Delarey, ’n tehuis vir bejaardes, het beurtkrag ‘n ernstige impak op die lewensgehalte van bejaarde inwoners wat spesiale sorg benodig. Ná geskeduleerde beurtkrag Dinsdag, 12 Julie, het ‘n ondergrondse hoofspanningskabel ontplof toe elektrisiteitstoevoer ná 16:00 herstel is. Dit het die fasiliteit tot 03:00 gisteroggend sonder elektrisiteit gelaat.

Die ouetehuis moes Dinsdagoggend noodgedwonge die families van 89 bejaarde inwoners kontak om hul naasbestaandes te kom haal omdat die tehuis nie die nodige sorg kon verskaf, weens die onsekerheid wat deur die voortdurende beurtkrag en daaropvolgende stroomonderbrekings as gevolg van kabeldiefstal meegebring word.

Die boeregemeenskap word ook negatief geraak deur beurtkrag en bykomende elektrisiteitsonderbrekings. Dit vertraag die vervoer van oeste na silos aangesien baie ure verlore gaan om te wag vir elektrisiteitstoevoer om graan af te laai. Boere is ook huiwerig om landerye vir die saai van koring voor te berei omdat die risiko van langdurige elektrisiteitsonderbrekings die besproeiing van landerye negatief sal beïnvloed. Pluimveeboere verloor die grootste deel van hul broeipare weens die elektrisiteitsonderbrekings.

Om die ramp van elektrisiteitsonderbrekings te versag, verbrand boere tienduisende rande se diesel om kragopwekkers te laat loop om te verseker dat water gepomp kan word en dat pluimvee warm gehou word. Daarbenewens moet baie boere in alternatiewe energiebronne belê om net die basiese bestuur van hul bedrywighede te verseker. Dit lei daartoe dat insetkoste die hoogte inskiet en sal lei tot toenames in voedselpryse en verdere werkverliese wat ons nie kan bekostig nie.

NWK het byvoorbeeld 8 silo-aanlegte in die omgewing. Tydens kragonderbrekings beloop die bykomende koste om elke aanleg te bedryf tot R30 000 per dag.

Om kabeldiefstal te voorkom, het boere in die Tswaing-omgewing 52 bakkies op eie koste beskikbaar gestel om die groot elektrisiteitslyne tydens beurtkrag en snags te patrolleer.

Gister is 11 vermeende kabeldiewe in hegtenis geneem.

Klein dorpies soos Delareyville en Sannieshof sukkel met onderbreekte elektrisiteitstoevoer.

In Delareyville is die netwerk vir ten minste die afgelope 25 jaar nie opgegradeer nie, terwyl twee bykomende dorpe tot hierdie ou netwerk gevoeg is, wat daartoe gelei het dat die vraag die aanbod oorskry en dus gereelde onderbrekings veroorsaak weens ‘n oorlading van die stelsel. Die stelsel faal vyf of ses keer ná ‘n beurtkragsessie, wat groot skade aan toestelle en toerusting veroorsaak.

Sannieshof is ‘n gewilde teiken vir kabeldiefstal tydens beurtkrag. Kabeldiewe het Dinsdag vir die 21ste keer die afgelope 10 maande toegeslaan en Sannieshof en omgewing vir lang tye sonder elektrisiteit gelaat. Plaaslike boere en die polisie het reeds twee suksesvolle arrestasies gemaak, maar nuwe spanne diewe daag op sodra beurtkrag begin. Dit neem Eskom elke keer meer as 24 uur om ’n gesteelde kabel te vervang terwyl inwoners en besighede deur nóg ’n dag sonder elektrisiteit sukkel.

Ná ons verbintenisse by Huis Delarey en met die plaaslike landbou-unie, sal die DA aan die COGSTA LUR, Lenah Miga, en Eskom skryf om te versoek dat Tswaing as ‘n rampgebied verklaar word en vrygestel word van beurtkrag weens die vervalle infrastruktuur en die voorkoms van voortdurende kabeldiefstal.

Tswaing is dalk ‘n landelike munisipaliteit, maar die impak en koste van beurtkrag en kragonderbrekeings het verreikende gevolge wat gemeenskappe versmoor.