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ActionSA North West is calling for full accountability after Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality overspent its legal budget by more than R4.5 million, with total legal expenditure reaching R7.57 million against a budget of just R3 million.

This level of expenditure is indefensible in a municipality that continues to struggle financially while residents are denied reliable basic services. Taxpayers cannot be expected to fund endless legal costs at the expense of service delivery.

These revelations come just weeks after the municipality suffered the embarrassment of having 13 municipal vehicles attached by the Sheriff over an alleged unpaid security contract worth approximately R4 million. The municipality has indicated that it intends settling the debt by tomorrow, 1 July, after receiving its equitable share allocation.

Taken together, these developments paint a disturbing picture of a municipality moving from one financial crisis to another while residents bear the consequences.

ActionSA believes every rand spent on avoidable legal disputes is a rand diverted from fixing roads, maintaining water infrastructure, collecting refuse and restoring public confidence in local government.

ActionSA North West will pursue every available oversight mechanism to establish how the legal budget was allowed to spiral out of control, whether public funds were spent lawfully and responsibly, and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

Issued by: Bento Cassanga ActionSA Regional Chairperson of Ngaka Modiri Molema