At present, this municipality has been summoned to account before the North West Provincial Legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts (Scopa) over allegations of financial mismanagement.

This municipality will again appear for their financial woes after appearing with four other municipalities last month, which included the Free State’s Masilonyana and Mafube municipalities. According to the 2017/18 local government audit outcomes report by Auditor-General, Kimi Makwetu, they made a loss of R1.6 billion. They invested in the collapsed financial institution, VBS Mutual Bank. Makwetu criticised this municipality for its poor audit outcomes.

The municipality’s employees are yet again threatening to burn down municipal offices after last week’s protest which resulted in the dumping of garbage inside the council of chambers, the burning of tyres in the streets, and also attempting to burn down a municipal garage. The fire was, however, extinguished in time. The employees are expressing their grief as the municipality failed to pay their September salaries due to a lack of funds.

Scopa Chairperson, Job Dliso, is pleading with the public to calm down as they will meet with the municipality on Wednesday 16 October 2019 as a measure to ensure accountability of funds appropriated to this municipality.

OFM News/Marvin Ntsane