Emalahleni Executive Mayor, Cllr Linah Malatjie has yet again failed to address the large scale of corruption and moral degeneration in the municipality by providing vague answers on the Traffic Officer scandal that saw spouses, girlfriends and children of MMCs favoured for positions.
The municipality is tethering on the brink of collapse and is currently technical insolvent with close to R3.5 billion owed to Eskom. Yet in the midst of it all it is alleged that R3 million was made available for a Traffic Officer programme which was not budgeted for.
Mayor Malatjie included several items on a council meeting agenda and when the time arrived for tabling those items, at the last minute, they were withdrawn.
There is no political will from her office to root out corruption, not in a disfunctional institution such as Emalahleni as the report does not indicate what actions steps will be taken.
There is limited implementation of Policy, by-laws, legislation and the Standing Rules of Order and it can be contributed to R1.3 billion unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure all under Malatjie’s watch.
The Council has resolved on having a Financial Disciplinary Board but to date no one has been referred to this board and no reports have been tabled.
The Mayor’s lacklustre approach to corruption and nepotism within the institution has projected her loyalty towards her fellow comrades within the ANC instead of the residents of Emalahleni.
It is evident that she cannot investigate or hold accountability on her own MMCs who have been fingered and those employed through the back door in the Traffic Officer Scandal.
The DA will table a motion of no confidence in Mayor, Linah Malatjie and the three MMCs implicated in the Traffic Officer Scandal.
It is our obligation to serve the people of Emalahleni in uprooting corruption.