Mpumalanga ANC officials allegedly used municipal funds to pay for accommodation while on a jol during the party’s January 8 gig.
In an affidavit filed by Fanie Mogotji, leader of the Bolsheviks Party of South Africa, the officials spent more than R90 000 from the Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality in Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga, to finance ANC activities.
Mogotji’s affidavit, filed in May, details how R97 322 from the municipal coffers was allegedly used to cover accommodation costs for the mayor, chief whip, speaker of the council, and their bodyguards during the ANC’s January 8 Statement celebrations in Mbombela earlier this year.
The affidavit claims this expenditure, documented in an official municipal supply chain report, constitutes a serious violation of the Municipal Finance Management Act, and demands immediate legal action.
“It’s a matter of principle over the amount stolen from the public purse. Stealing R97 000 is not a small matter, especially when you consider the billions in budgets that we have entrusted these politicians with,” Mogotji told Sunday World.
“The amount can be seen as pocket change, but that’s enough to build an RDP house for one overcrowded family in Siyabuswa.”
Despite the gravity of the allegations, no arrests have been made, raising concerns of political interference.
However, Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale dismissed these concerns.
“An enquiry has been opened for further interrogation, and the findings have been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a decision upon which a case can be opened,” Mogale said.
The affidavit also highlights broader issues of service delivery failures in Siyabuswa, including collapsed water infrastructure and impassable roads, which Mogotji attributes to the rampant corruption in the municipality.
“The use of state funds for a purpose other than what it is meant for is a dastardly criminal offence of great degree. This is outright corruption and theft,” Mogotji declared in the affidavit.
The Bolsheviks Party has vowed to keep the pressure on until justice is served, condemning the abuse of public funds, and calling for swift action from the Hawks and the NPA.
“It clearly shows that this practice has been there, and it’s normal for JS Moroka officials to use municipal coffers for party events. Their time is up. The Bolsheviks Party won’t keep quiet about such things – not on our watch,” Mogotji asserted.
JS Moroka Local Municipality spokesperson Masabatha Ramatsetse did not respond to Sunday World’s enquiry on the matter.
NPA spokesperson in Mpumalanga Monica Nyuswa also did not comment on the matter.
