The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga calls for legal action to be taken against all those who are responsible for the alleged looting of Dipaleseng Local Municipality.
According to reports, the Balfour based municipality lost more than R100 million to corruption within the last couple of years. ANC politicians in the municipality allegedly also withheld a damning Forensic Report detailing how the money was looted.
We call on the South African Police Services (SAPS) to do a thorough investigation into the alleged looting in that municipality. Incidences of corruption and looting have been reported for years and no action has been taken or any consequences metted out against those responsible. It is really disturbing that corruption and looting have been normalized amongst the ANC Government and their comrades.
The DA also calls on the Provincial Government and Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane to intervene and address the issues of corruption and looting in all our municipalities. The SAPS and the Provincial Government must urgently investigate and track the stolen millions in Dipaleseng and prosecute all those involved accordingly.
How much will the ANC steal before they are satisfied? South Africans are tired of hearing reports of corruption by the ANC. How much more must be stolen before ANC Comrades are prosecuted and jailed? Corruption and maladministration are destroying our local governments.
Every year the Auditor-General releases disturbing reports about looting in municipalities and the lack of consequences for misconduct and maladministration. Hundreds of forensic investigations have been done, but no action is taken against those implicated. It is a fact that where the ANC are in charge, local government is in a shambles.
The ANC Government and the department of CoGTA are failing in their mandate to fix it in order to deliver much-needed clean and effective governance. We need to hold public representatives and officials to account, and if necessary, send them to jail for misuse of the public purse.