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More unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure have been uncovered in a report compiled by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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The ANC-led City of Polokwane has, a year later, still not released a forensic audit report that apparently uncovered massive corruption.

The municipality’s authorities decided to keep the R500 000 report, done by Bowman Gilfillan, away from the public. Opposition councillors were not given copies and were only allowed to peruse it.

Since the report’s tabling in council in April last year, the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) has uncovered more unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and has touched some of the issue in the Bowmans report.

MPAC has however left the Democratic Alliance angry with its recommendation that the council must write off R34 million of the  unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

City of Polokwane spokesperson, Thipa Selala, however said that there was no secrecy regarding the Bowmans report.

“Some of the reports from Bowman Gilfillan investigations have already served in Council. They were still busy finalising the last investigations, and the report thereof will soon serve in Council with recommendations,” Selala said.

DA councillor, Jacques Joubert, said that they were only allowed to peruse the report and were not provided with copies.

From the little that is known of the Bowman report contents is that:

·      The city spent R16.6 million on buses that were not delivered and incurred fruitless expenditure;

·      One official received a pay out of R92 000 as overtime in one month;

·      Nepotism in the appointment of Expanded Public Works Programme;

·      Municipal officials lying to the Public Protector;

·      Irregular expenditure of R137 million because of the irregular appointment of a service provider for pre-bid evaluation process.

The MPAC report points to R101.8 million irregular expenditure which still needed to be investigated as of 30 June 2023.

The report  also indicates that a company was given a tender of fraudulent documents and cost the municipality R18.6 million and irregularity that involves ABSA to the tune of R38.2 million and was being investigated by the Financial Misconduct Board.

MPAC also highlighted that:

·      A company was paid R4.9 million without proof of delivery of the goods;

·      A company benefited extra payment of R5.2 million;

·      Late payments to Eskom resulted in interest of R444 793 being charged.  

Jacques said that the DA voted against the writing off of the R34 million in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

Selala said that the MPAC’s recommendation did not mean that the council would nullify and disciplinary hearings that were on-going.

He said that the council resolved that a progress report on the implementation of consequence management and disciplinary hearings against officials be provided to the council.

Selala said that in cases where there are no financial losses, services were rendered and the SCM processes were contravened, disciplinary action must be applied.

“Unfortunately, the DA wants the community to believe that the resolution was taken without any consideration of corrective measures and consequence management being enforced. This is misleading to the public,” Selala said.