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The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Speaker, Cllr Wireless Sedibeng, and the Municipal Manager, Mr. Q Kgatla, of the Mopani District Municipality (MDM) to follow up on the progress made to recover overpayments of councillors for the period between 2016 to 2019.

A report was tabled during a Council sitting on 30 October 2020 on the update on overpayment and underpayment of councillors, indicated that during 2016 – 2019 officials apparently miscalculated, misunderstood or misinterpreted the applicable legislation related to remuneration of councillors. This led to the overpayment of councillors.

What seems to be gross incompetence led to the overpayment of 27 councillors in the 2016/17 financial year of R1 319 992.60.

During the 2017/18 financial year 9 councillors were overpaid in the total amount of R1 004 776.

The DA is concerned that various reports indicate different amounts as the above-mentioned figures were not the same as the amount in the management report.

It is clear that incompetence hampers financial accountability in the MDM.

Council resolved on 30 October 2020 that all councillors who were overpaid had to make arrangements to repay the funds.

Letters were subsequently sent to councillors indicating the overpayment and the instruction to pay back.

The DA urges urgent follow-up of these repayments as it is most likely that some of the councillors will not be re-elected on 27 October 2021.

We further call on the Municipal Manager to hold officials accountable for the gross negligence as it negatively impacts the finances of the municipality.

We believe that the MDM must be applauded for the openness to table this sensitive report to council but needs to make it count by ensuring that all councillors make repayments as per the agreements in place.

The DA will continue to put pressure on municipal councils to enforce consequence management and prudent financial spending.

Issued by DA