Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Central Karoo District Municipality is facing increasing pressure to explain the missing millions former mayor Gayton McKenzie raised on its behalf.
On Thursday, the DA and Beaufort West residents held a picket outside the municipality’s offices.
The DA’s caucus leader in Beaufort West, Schaun Meyers, said the Patriotic Alliance (PA) had made a clear promise to residents the funds would be used to improve service delivery.
“Neither the municipality nor the residents in the Central Karoo have seen a single cent of the R3 million, and service delivery remains as poor as ever,” he added.
McKenzie sought permission from the council to host the event and, according to council minutes, claimed the funds would go towards the 100-day promises he made in his inaugural speech in April last year.
But according to the municipality’s annual report, none of the money was deposited, and there was no listed donation for the 2022 financial year.
The event – “Bringing New Life to the Desert” – was supposed to benefit Beaufort West.
This included the repair of swimming pools in the town, eradicating bucket toilets in the entire Central Karoo, creating jobs and repairing potholes on main routes.
Meyers said: “McKenzie clearly did not intend to use the money for service delivery, and since trusts earn significant interest, he is reaping the benefits.”
According to the latest Municipal Financial Sustainability Index report, Ratings Afrika gave the municipality a poor score of 21 out of 100.
“This report, together with the R3 million that was never used to uplift the community, unequivocally confirms the PA’s commitment to poor service delivery and financial mismanagement,” Meyers added.
The Public Protector is also investigating the issue following complaints from the SACP in July and August 2022.
Meyers has urged the Public Protector to conclude its investigation urgently.News24 previously reported in response to questions submitted by the DA earlier this month, council speaker Lizel Paulse said she had requested McKenzie to account to the council on all outstanding matters from his time as mayor, including the Sandton gala fundraiser.
In response to the picket, PA spokesperson Steve Motale said: “What they [the DA] are doing are just more slander and publicity stunting.”
Motale added McKenzie would return to the council in due course to deliver his report.
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