The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the arrest of a 58-year-old senior Maruleng Municipality official on charges of alleged fraud and corruption. The arrest was carried out by the Hawks’ Phalaborwa-based Serious Corruption Investigation team.
According to the Hawks, the suspect — who was serving as acting municipal manager of the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality in July 2015 — appointed a company to assist with the restoration of a major power outage without following due procurement processes.
A few days later, the company allegedly submitted multiple claims for services that were never rendered. All the claims were processed and paid. This resulted in a loss of more than R770 000 to the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality.
Municipality ‘playing hide-and-seek’
DA MPL and head of the party’s Olifants Constituency, Marie Helm, slammed the municipality. She said it was “deeply disingenuous” of the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality to issue a media statement distancing itself from the matter. The municipality stressed that “no official from the municipality has been arrested”.
This while omitting that the crime was allegedly committed by its own acting municipal manager at the time.
“This is yet another example of how organs of state under ANC control and twist the truth. They hide the crime, and offer spin instead of transparency, accountability, and basic honesty,” said Helm.
She further criticised what she described as the ANC’s “well-worn policy of redeploying cadres implicated in gross misconduct to other entities”. Helm argued that such practices perpetuate a cycle of corruption and ineptitude.
“This practice erodes public trust, weakens institutions, and makes a mockery of good governance. This is not how a capable, ethical, and functional state is built,” she added.
Other officials being probed
Helm welcomed the Hawks’ indication that further arrests are imminent. She urged investigators to pursue other ongoing corruption cases in Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. Including one involving the then Municipal Manager, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. The latter currently serves as a minister in the presidency.
“The DA will continue to demand accountability, transparency, and consequence management. Delivery and development start with good, corrupt-free governance,” concluded Helm.
