The alleged failure to procure diesel at the troubled Bloemfontein-based Mangaung Metro Municipality is back under the spotlight. A source in the upper echelons claims that the metro has run out of diesel and this has since hampered the most basic service delivery including refuse waste removal across the metro. In leaked communication, it was claimed by the sources that this past weekend workers could simply not work at the Northern landfill site.

OFM News previously reported that R500k was said to have gone missing with no trace or cannot be accounted for.

At the time it was alleged that R500 000 meant to purchase diesel to render services with the metro's fleet, including its garbage collection trucks, had gone missing. However former acting municipal manager Tebogo Motlashuping said the investigations have revealed that these claims were based on unfounded allegations.

"There was never a loss of R500 000. What occurred is that we are ensuring that when diesel and petrol are purchased, there is accountability for it. There was laxity in relation to that particular aspect but we have put systems in place to make sure that petrol and diesel are accounted for,“ Motlashuping added.

DA caucus leader, Johan Pretorius, also said Motlashuping confirmed that he had approved the payment of R500 000 to buy diesel but the money has since gone missing.

Pretorius had previously said that the municipality could roughly fill up 200 compact vehicles with that amount of diesel.

The metro has previously made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In April 2022 the Hawks confirmed that it was investigating a case of alleged fraud and corruption at the main depot of Bloemfontein's troubled Mangaung Metro's Solid Waste Management Sub-directorate.

The investigation involved the alleged excessive payments of overtime to some employees at the metro’s main depot. This comes after a barrage of allegations of fraud and corruption against the metro, alleged to have occurred over a couple of years.

OFM News/Lucky Nkuyane