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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Dawid Kruiper municipality will request a Special Council meeting to address the way forward following a proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, authorising the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration into 24 contracts entered into by Dawid Kruiper municipality, stretching over more than a decade.

The subject of the investigation is far reaching and focuses on possible wrongdoing and improper conduct between January 2010 and September 2024 relating to contracts for security services, legal services, fencing, yellow fleet hire, road repair and resurfacing, data collection, stage and sound hire, sewerage pumps repair, paving, electrification, management of parks, asset management, bridge maintenance and more. The investigation will also look into unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, or wasteful expenditure and improper conduct by employees, service providers and suppliers.

The DA welcomes the probe to be undertaken by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). We are concerned about the extent of corruption that may have taken place in the municipality over a prolonged period of time, at the ultimate cost of service delivery.

Over the years, we have tried hard to ensure clean governance within the municipality but questions remained unanswered and our motions, passed in council, were never implemented. We consistently raised the alarm about the municipality’s lack of a functional Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC). We also repeatedly raised objections to the interference into municipal affairs by the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the ANC, to no avail.

At last, efforts to hold the municipal administration and the relevant politicians accountable, are paying off, and we are hopeful that this will urge more municipal employees to come forward about wrongdoing and misconduct, and ultimately end in criminal prosecution for those who have stolen taxpayers’ money.

Issued by Rudolph Saal, Cllr - Dawid Kruiper municipality