Councillor implicated in fraud
Vryburg – A councillor from the Naledi Local Municipality, together with a previous councillor from the Dr RS Mompati District Municipality is being accused of defrauding the Western Region Transport Cooperative (WRTC).
Chairman on the Naledi Taxi Association (NAMTA), Jimmy Machogo, told Stellalander in an interview that more than R5.8 million was mismanaged or stolen by Board members of the WRTC.
According to Machogo, a filling station was bought with some of the money, but, due to mismanagement, the filling station was never operational.
“The WRTC's Board members also decided to buy a house to serve as offices, but this house in McKenzie Street is standing empty,” claims Machogo.
He states further that, since 2007, the Board members of the WRTC failed to call meetings and inform the more than 400 cooperative members of what is going on with the finances.
Stellalander is also in possession of an audit report which is addressing serious incidents of mismanagement of the organisations' finances.
An amount of R64 000 was paid out in cash to various Board members as “special allowances”.
“There was no resolution to pay special allowances. The Board should make a decision to recover these funds,” recommends the report by Ngubani & Co Accountants. More than a year later, none of these monies were recovered, claims Machogo.
It seems that the seven Board members is still getting their R10 000 per month salaries, even though the WRTC is failing, according to Machogo, to function.
“We have no other option than to take mass action against these Board members. We cannot let them get away with fraud,” said Machogo.
Stellalander has also learned that the Naledi councillor has failed to declare to the council that he is the community liaison officer for the Tau Pele Construction company who is currently working on roads around the town.
“The councillor was suppose to declare his involvement. This is a serious infringement of council policy,” cllr (DA) Louwna Pretorius told Stellalander.
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