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This payment proves that the distinction between state and party is sometimes blurred.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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A small Mpumalanga party has laid charges of fraud against a municipal manager and chief finance officer following expenditure of close to R100 000 for the hotel accommodation of politicians and bodyguards who attended the ANC’s birthday celebrations in January.

The rural Dr JS Moroka municipality in Siyabuswa spent R97 322.78 for the accommodation of executive mayor, Nomsa Mtsweni, speaker Rosina Nkoane, chief whip, Swanyane Nkgodi, as well as four mayoral committee members and two bodyguards.

They attended the January 8 celebrations in Mbombela, which was not a government event but the political party’s celebration. This payment proves that the distinction between state and party is sometimes blurred.

Bolsheviks Party of South Africa leader, Seun Mogotji, said that he came across the information when he was doing a door to door campaign for voters on May 6.

A community member, said Mogotji, told him about the expenditure and later sent him a screenshot of the document.

According to sources in various municipalities across the province, taxpayers footed the bill of councillors’ accommodation. With the exception of the mayors of the City of Mbombela and Ehlanzeni District municipalities who hosted the event, it may mean that two district municipalities and 17 local ones could have spent about the same amount each for their entourages.

Mpumalanga taxpayers probably spent R1.9 million for their senior councillors’ accommodation, assuming that they each sent the same number as Dr JS Moroka to the ANC’s birthday party.

Dr JS Moroka manager, Monica Mathibela, confirmed that she was aware Mogotji had laid a charge against her and municipality’s chief executive officer, Bonisiwe Klaas.

“The municipality paid because they were officially invited,” Mathibela said.  

Mpumalanga ANC spokesperson, Muzi Chirwa, did not respond to written questions.

Mogotji said in his affidavit that the payment was in contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), which regulates how municipal officials should use public funds.

He said that after coming across the information, he requested the community member to provide him with proof.

“The community member sent me a snap shot of a document and I noticed that on point number 433 of the document on the snap shot it is written procurement of accommodation for Chief Whip, Executive Mayor, Speaker, two body guards and all four MMCs (members of the mayoral committee) attending January 8 statement celebration from 10 January to 13 January 2024),” Mogotji said.

“According to the Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003 the above mentioned officials are not allowed to make use of State resources to attend a private party programme which is non official municipal activity.”