SurgeZirc SA reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mohokare Local Municipality has opened criminal charges against Mayor Irene Mehlomakhulu, Municipal Manager, Selby Selepe, and former MEC for Cogta Thembeni Ngxangisa.
According to a statement made available to SurgeZirc SA on Monday, it was gathered that the criminal charges were opened by Zastron Police Station by Karabo Khakhau, MPL, Cllr Pheliswa Mpongoshe, and Cllr Ian Riddle.
SurgeZirc SA understands that the DA is asking for clarity from Mayor Mehlomakhulu in the alleged unauthorised, irregular, and wasteful expenditure of about R282,1 million incurred by the municipality in the 2020/21 financial year.
Khakhau in the statement lamented over poor service delivery in the area, stating that residents find it difficult to have access to basic social amenities and human development.
Khakhau went further to note that accountability is key in ensuring community development as he reiterated that the DA will not allow the negligence of the current administrators to slide.
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“This amount was broken down by the Auditor General report that was tabled in council in July this year, which amounts to R8.4 million unauthorized expenditure, R122 million, R90 million with fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The Democratic Alliance was accompanied by petitions worth 478 signatures of residents across the municipality of all three towns being Zastron rural and Smithfield,” the statement reads.
In another development, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen has urged residents of Nelson Mandela Bay to troop out en mass to cast their vote for the party in the forthcoming election.
In his address, Steenhuisen disclosed that if given the mandate, the party is geared towards wooing investors into the metro in other to boost economic growth.
“It’s signs that we are trying our votes out here in big numbers so that we can get a majority. We lost out 12 000 votes last time. We are trying to get 50% plus the majority. I had been spending time visiting all the metros during the cause of the year. We will get our majority here,” Steenhuisen said.
