Nketoane Local Municipality mayor Mamiki Mokoena has come under fire for spending almost a million on a rented car. The DA is accusing the mayor of Nketoane Local Municipality, which is situated in the Free State, for the wasteful expenditure.

WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE

DA member of the legislature Diphaphang Mofokeng said the ANC must recall Mokoena as she has bankrupted the municipality. "The DA is aware of those allegations and we have long held a view that the mayor must lead the charge in saving funds of the municipality. The mayor has been reckless for a very long time now. She uses a municipal funded vehicle for personal use and keeps no logbook on the vehicle. "She uses exorbitant amount of money on fuel and rental. From 18 May 2024 to 17 June 2024 a combined total of R100 000 was spent. This is despite the fact that the DA has proposed a much cheaper vehicle as an alternative. The DA has referred this matter to the legislature for the attention of the MEC," said Mokoena.

BASIC SALARIES

On 22 February 2024, the Nketoana Local Municipality issued a letter to all employees and unions where it was notifying them that only basic salaries would be paid, with allowances to follow later. According to a statement issued by the DA councillor Anelie Dmit, some workers did not receive their full salaries by the end of February. "The root cause of this issue stems from SARS directly recovering R 2,622,867.07 from Nketoana on 29 January for overdue payments leading to delayed salary payments in January 2024. Additionally, in Case 2870/2013, Rudnat Projects CC obtained a court order against Nketoana for an outstanding amount of R 5,130,032.05," said Smit. Smit said despite Nketoana's timely payments of R 7,185,452.55 towards the original contractor's costs of R 5,278,036.43, unnecessary interest and costs amounted to R 7,037,448.17, burdening taxpayers.

DIRECT DISCOVERY

Smit further said that the recent direct recovery of funds from Nketoana's account on 21 February 2024 exacerbated the situation resulting in insufficient funds to cover February salaries. "The DA said it was deeply concerned about these developments, particularly their impact on essential service delivery. The lack of diesel, unpaid bills and unattended waste and overgrown grass are symptoms of a larger issue affecting the community. "We will advocate for solutions in the council and demand accountability from the municipality," he said. Nketoane Local Municipality Spokesperson had not responded to questions Zimoja sent at the time of publishing.