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Congress of the People (COPE) notes reports the Dihlabeng municipality in the Free State is to fork out around R200 000 of taxpayers’ money to pay for an award at the Self-Styled European Business Assembly (EBA) in June 2013.

While we encourage world class delivery of services in municipalities; we however, do not subscribe to the notion that the Dihlabeng municipality is amongst the best in the world, solely because it achieved a un-qualified Audit which is expected and not negotiable

Congress of the People (COPE) calls on the leaders of Dihlabeng Municipality to immediate put a stop to these shenanigans and will approach the Office of the Auditor General to request a full investigation into the matter.

COPE will ask the Auditor General to ascertain whether the reported misspent of funds does not equate to wasteful expenditure.

Allegations of misuse of the public purse by politicians who embark on peculiar international trips while the people of Clarens struggle with basic services like water, sanitation, and housing must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

Municipalities across the country must be properly regulated with proper oversight because failure to do so will result in misuse and looting by those in power.

We must prevent those in charge at Dihlabeng from violating the Public Management Act (PMA).