R100 million for airport renovation goes missing

[Nat Quinn]

Over R100 million allocated for renovations to two North West airports has effectively “gone missing,” City Press reports.

The North West Department of Community Safety and Transport management was meant to use the money to renovate the Dick Montshioa and Pilanesberg International airports in Mahikeng and Rustenberg, respectively.

According to the paper, R40 million was allocated to the refurbishment and renovation projects in the 2020/21 financial year, and R44 million was allocated in 2021/22.

Over the past three years, the total funds allocated exceeded R100 million.

However, the portfolio committee on community safety and transport management found that no work has been done — and nobody can account for where the funds are.

The committee has opened a case of corruption at the Mahikeng Police Station and has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to authorise the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate the department.

Corruption in municipalities

Corruption in government continues to run rife throughout South Africa.

Cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Thembi Nkadimeng recently revealed that R17.5 million had been spent since 1 January 2019 on investigating municipalities’ maladministration, fraud, and corruption using the Section 106 process.

When a member of a provincial executive council (MEC) has reason to believe there has been or is maladministration, fraud, corruption or any other serious malpractice at a municipal level, the MEC must trigger an investigation into the municipality in terms of section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act.

The Western Cape has spent the most on these investigations — accruing a total expenditure of R7.25 million.

Other significant spenders included Gauteng and Mpumalanga, contributing about R5 million to the total.

Data from the North-West and Kwa-Zulu Natal was not made available, so how much was spent on section 106 reports in these areas is unclear.

All section 106 investigations in the Free State and Limpopo were conducted internally, so no fees were paid to a service provider.

The table below gives a province-by-province breakdown of expenditure on section 106 reports:

Province	Number of Section 106 investigations	Total expenditure
Eastern Cape	15	R750,00
Free State	5	R0
Gauteng	2	R4.87 million
Limpopo	6	R0
Mpumalanga	7	R4.58 million
Northern Cape	0	R0
Western Cape	5	R7.25 million

 

source:R100 million for airport renovation goes missing (mybroadband.co.za)

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