According to the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) at the North West Provincial Legislature, Job Dliso, a municipal building project at the Mathibestad-based Moretele Local municipality, started at the value of R59,3 million, is now said to be costing R194 million. He says the project started in May 2016 with a budget of R59,3 million but the contract was terminated at the end of December 2017 when the project was at 52% completion with an expenditure of R51,3 million. Dliso raised his concerns over the alleged raising expenditure on the unfinished municipal office building project for the Moretele Local Municipality. During the oversight by the members of the legislature, Dliso described this as an unacceptable situation with a project that was initially budgeted for R59,3 million 5 years ago, which has now been estimated to cost over R194 million.

“This is unacceptable as there is no value for money. It is the third time since both committees visited the project but nothing is done. Except for this exorbitant amounts on the project, there is no accountability on the funds spent on rentals during the period when the project was stalled, including to this day,” Dliso says.

This follows an oversight visit to the incomplete municipal office building. The legislature is currently conducting oversight visits to various municipalities under the Bojanala District Municipality. The programme is aimed at taking the legislature to the people to strengthen oversight and public participation and to promote accountability and transparency in government. During the programme, members of the legislature will interact with different provincial departments and their MECs, mayors, accounting officers, and members of the Municipal Public Accounts Committees.

The chairperson of a different portfolio committee, Aaron Motswana, said the committees will escalate the matters with law enforcement agencies to investigate maladministration and corruption in this project that does not seem to be completed.

In July this year, Motswana revealed that the provincial government might have lost a massive R4,9 billion - calculated for the period between 2005 and 2009 - due to the non-collection of revenue from at least 98 000 properties.

ALSO READ: North West 'loses billions in revenue collection'

The Auditor-General (AG), Tsakani Maluleke, previously mentioned that almost half (43%) of the money spent by North West municipalities was spent irregularly.

ALSO READ: Almost half of North West municipalities' expenditure irregular

Maluleke also revealed that all 22 North West municipalities have failed to obtain a single clean audit.

ALSO READ: 22 North West municipalities fail to obtain clean audits

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