The troubled Bloemfontein-based Mangaung Metro Municipality has allegedly recommended that thousands of rands belonging to farmers, stolen from the metro's fresh produce market during a break-in, be written off.

A leaked document regarding this made its rounds on social media. The document sent to the council detailed how close to R700 000 would be written off because the insurance company declined to cover the cost as the metro did not insure the money. 

The report has made three recommendations which include that the ailing metro pay the money directly to the market’s bank account. Another recommendation sought by the authors of the report is for the metro’s council to approve the write-off of stolen money. Afrikan Alliance for Social Democrats’s Zwelakhe Msabe told OFM News that he suspects the break-in at the market was an inside job and another way of trying to loot the coffers of the metro. He questioned why the police investigation report was not tabled in the council. 

The Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats wants the cash-strapped Mangaung Metro to be dissolved. Other opposition parties in the crisis-ridden metro are calling for the removal of the executive mayor, Mxolisi Siyonzana.https://t.co/zp9rOFYcvI pic.twitter.com/aQ8LGisem8

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“As Afrikan Alliance for Social Democrats we are certainly not surprised by the actions of the executive mayor, councillor Gregory Nthatisi. We know that the intention of the ANC or the agenda of the ANC is to collapse the city, council, and its institution. They don’t have the best interest of residents in the city at heart, or the city itself. Theirs is to loot the city and ensure that they enrich themselves as individuals, hence we suspect an inside job.”  

This has since received further criticism from other emerging political parties in the metro. Rise Msanzi’s coordinator in the province, Mokgadi Kganakga, said the metro has been making provisions to write off all kinds of debt, including government debt, for a long time. 

“The take from the Free State Government always is that they are making arrangements with Mangaung to pay off their debt. This rhetoric is also sung by all ANC politicians that the Free State Government, which owes Mangaung billions, is making arrangements. What those arrangements are seems to be something known by only the ANC politicians because it’s not communicated further.”  

She said in June/July the Mangaung council also approved a saving grace from Eskom to write off debt and owed interest by Centlec. 

The Bloemfontein-based Mangaung Metro Municipality. Photo: Lucky Nkuyane

This sets the tone that normal citizens must pay for water and electricity whilst some businesses, some people, and government departments are exempt from paying for what they use and waste. 

“Gregory Nthatisi said in July that his office is also embarking on recovering the monies owed to Mangaung but he will not make a public spectacle about it because his job is not to embarrass businesses and the public sector. Various questions and follow-up questions have been asked by different political parties and no feedback from the acting executive mayor. What happens is the provisions are made in one financial year and the debt is written off in the next year.” 

The ANC council whip, Vumile Nikelo, has rubbished the claims. The metro is yet to comment on OFM News’ inquiry.

OFM News