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Petrol nozzle.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga claims that fraud linked to the misuse of petrol cards has negatively affected the delivery of basic services such as water and sanitation in Standerton.
The Lekwa Municipality speaker, who is an Economic Freedom Fighters member, Dumisani Msibi, resigned a week ago amid an investigation into the alleged misuse of municipal vehicles, petrol cards and fraud.
Five other municipal officials were suspended following the same allegations.
DA councillor Alberto Franco says corruption hampers service delivery. He adds that the municipality is facing significant challenges, including ageing infrastructure.
“The speaker apparently was excessively using the petrol card. The results of the investigation showed that there was more than one vehicle being used, as determined by the mileage on the clock. Also, for example, in the mornings there would be an amount of R1,800 for diesel or petrol poured, and then the evening more or less the same amount and the next day. So, this was on a daily basis or on a bi-daily basis. Apparently, the amount for both vehicles totals to about R120,000 over three months, which, as you can understand, just doesn’t make sense. The other petrol fraud is different in the sense that, for example, the petrol is paid, and then it does not go into our vehicles of the municipality. Apparently, employees went to filling stations with 20 or 25 litre containers and have them filled,” says Franco.
Franco adds that the embattled Lekwa Municipality is experiencing water provision challenges. He says roads are riddled with potholes and raw sewage spews onto the streets, into storm water drains and even into the Vaal Dam.
“There’s quite a lot of issues in the Lekwa Municipality affecting service delivery. The sudden cut of electricity, the substations that go down unnoticed. Usually, we’ve got quite a lot of damages on our lines. We are not informed, or prepared. The second thing is water. We do pressure tests on tankers because we have limited running water. There has been no street lights for the past five years yet this is an industrial area,” he adds
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga EFF Party Chairperson Collen Sedibe says the party will not tolerate corrution, not even from their own members.
“We received a report from the MPEC committee that implicates him in the misuse of the petrol cards and of the two vehicles allocated to him. This, after it was established that he used the vehicles beyond the jurisdiction of the municipality, in Newcastle and in Springs, which is not allowed. So, we know that the EFF fights corruption, and corruption to us knows no colour. So, anyone involved in corruption, including our own members, we take action,” says Sedibe.
Another EFF member Phindile Mahlaba has been elected the new Speaker.
