In a shocking revelation, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Municipality in Vryburg has reportedly spent a staggering R38 million on a small, pre-fabricated building that they claim is their new call centre. Critics have dubbed it the "country's most expensive shack", raising significant concerns about allocating public funds.
The Call Centre Project was awarded to a Joburg, Sandton-based Cyber Solutions in a joint venture with the Greendroplets Project, an organisation allegedly linked to a high-ranking official within the municipality. Notably, the total cost of constructing the structure was R38 million. However, according to reports by City Press newspaper, additional invoices reveal the municipality is paying R1.4 million in monthly fees for the equipment required to operate the call centre.
These monthly invoiced amounts include expenditures for Lenovo desktops, car radios in emergency vehicles, handheld walkie-talkies, computer peripherals, headphones, a Huawei Router, fibre and Internet services. However, senior municipal managers have disclosed that some of the equipment listed on the invoices has yet to be delivered or utilised as claimed. For instance, it was revealed that there are no municipal vehicles equipped with car radios, as stated in the invoices.
The situation has sparked outrage and concern among South Africans, leading to investigations and calls for accountability. The North West Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Premier, Finance, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs, chaired by Aaron Motswana, expressed its shock and dismay over the misallocation of public funds by the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality.
The committee called for swift action and investigations into what they described as "rampant corruption, fraud, and looting at an industrial scale" within the municipality. They emphasised the need to hold those responsible accountable and recover public funds spent on the non-existent call centre. "We urge the Acting Premier Nono Maloyi to take necessary steps to stop rampant corruption, fraud and looting at an industrial scale in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District. "This shows thuggery, theft, and fraud of the highest order that when thieves ran out of ideas on how to authorise the theft of taxpayers' monies, the only logic was for them to create a shack and imaginary computers, handheld radios, and vehicles to justify their greed," said Motswana.
“The Municipal Manager, Mr Ronny Jonas, has also come under scrutiny, given his controversial track record. "What is also disheartening is the track record of the Municipal Manager on the Labour Court ruling against him when he was at Maquassi Hills Municipality, including his irregular and fraudulent payments. In Mamusa and Tswaing local municipalities, he also has dubious track records.
Therefore, it is not surprising that he would see any wrongdoing for paying for a non-existent shack call centre. "We cannot be a party to conducting such acts of thuggery and theft against the people of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district who do not have water and poor sanitation due to lack of services from the district municipality,” added Motswana. In an additional statement issued by Rise Mzansi North West, the party express their strong condemnation of what they perceive as a flagrant misappropriation of public finances.
Alfred Moagi, the Convener of Rise Mzansi North West, has officially called upon the newly-appointed Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, to investigate this blatant misuse of taxpayers' funds. The revelation of this exorbitant spending on a non-existent project has raised concerns about transparency, accountability, and the need to protect public funds meant for essential services and community development.
Meanwhile, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the North West Province has called on Ditsobotla Local Municipality to pay its workers their October salaries immediately. In a statement released on Tuesday, Cosatu said it is "disappointed by the conduct of some senior officials in the provincial government and the Ngaka Modiri Molema District who continue to refuse to release money in order for the workers at Ditsobotla municipality to be paid, despite our engagement with the acting Premier who gave a clear instruction that the workers should be paid all their outstanding money by the 3rd November 2023".
The statement added: "Since this commitment, workers have been taken from pillar to post and have not yet been paid their October salaries. This is adversely affecting their lives and their livelihood."
