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The DA will be writing to the Auditor-General (AG) to request an investigation into the payment made to municipal officials during July 2023 awarded for Covid danger pay.

The DA was tipped off by a whistle blower and it was confirmed by the then Acting Chief Financial Officer as well as the Municipal Manager, Mr Donald Mhangwana that an amount of R5 350 700 was awarded to municipal officials for danger pay.

This payout to municipal officials was never reported during a financial committee meeting or brought before council for the approval or ratification.

In response to a parliamentary question by the DA, the Minister of CoGTA, Thembi Nkadimeng, stated that no instruction was given to municipalities to award danger pay to municipal officials for their efforts during COVID 19. (See response here).

On 24 January 2024 the DA wrote to the mayor, Councillor Gerson Molapisane, to request an investigation into the matter as well as for the immediate suspension of the Municipal Manager. We further requested from which budget these payments were made, but to date have received no communication from the municipality.

The DA reiterates the call for the immediate suspension of the Municipal Manager, immediate disciplinary processes against all officials complicit and political will to recoup the R5.3 million.

It is an insult to all South Africans, and specifically to front line workers who risked their lives to keep shops, petrol stations and surgeries open during the Covid pandemic that Tzaneen municipal officials were awarded with danger pay two years after the pandemic subsided; and this during a time when water and electrical infrastructure is near collapse in the municipality.

We will further write to the MEC for CoGHSTA, Basikopo Makamu, to investigate this blatant self-enrichment of officials and to ascertain how many other municipalities in Limpopo similarly awarded themselves at the expense of the taxpayers and service delivery.

Vote DA in the upcoming elections to prevent such blatant abuse of public funds.

Issued by Lindy Wilson MPL - DA Limpopo Spokesperson for CoGHSTA