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Noleen Petersen Telnr: 051 404 7813 Email: Noleen.petersen@media24.com
Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Parties complain that their questions go unanswered
Metro keeps mum LIENTJIE MENTZ It is not just members of the public who struggle with getting little to no communication from the Mangaung Metro. Were it not for WhatsApp groups and political parties, seemingly no one would know when and why things happen in the metro or – which is more often the case – do not happen. Councillors in the Mangaung Metro direct Rule 38 questions to the executive mayor, Gregory Nthatisi, and appropriate officials on various matters to get clarity which, when submitted on time, must be answered at the subsequent council meeting. In the council meeting held on 31 January, Nthatisi said these questions were answered regularly, to which many councillors’ response was that their questions were never answered. Rule 38 questions of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Mangaung Metro may be submitted by any political office bearer to the municipal manager or senior manager of the metro. These are questions concerning any matter related to the effective performance of the functions of the municipality, as well as the exercise of powers by persons in authority. Gopolang Lipale, caucus leader of the EFF in the Mangaung Metro, says they are very frustrated with the lack of communication maintained by the metro. Lipale said the EFF has 12 outstanding Rule 38 questions, the oldest of which dates back to June last year. There are also about five or six motions that the EFF have submitted that have also not yet been presented.
Gregory Nthatisi, executive mayor of the Mangaung Metro.
“The mayor is not answering the questions that we ask. It really is frustrating. I am not his friend. When I call him, it is to discuss matters of urgency.” Lipale added that the EFF councillors were also struggling to get hold of mayoral committee members and department heads. “We cannot make appointments because they do not answer when we call.” Additionally, the DA has 21 questions that are outstanding for 2022 and 2023, and there are 17
COUNCILLORS ARE ALSO STRUGGLING TO GET HOLD OF MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS questions from last year that still need to be answered. Furthermore, five Rule 38 questions have been submitted by the DA this year. Hardie Viviers, DA caucus
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TEBOHO SETENA The fraud case arising from the installation of information technology (IT) infrastructure at the Botshabelo District Hospital’s doctors’ quarters against two individuals, including an IT company, came before the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court once again on Tuesday, 11 February. Suspects Sibusiso Edward Radebe (44), Sidwell Ntuli (50) and the entity Supana Technologies, first appeared on 12 November. The case followed the Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team’s probing into the fraud case estimated at R1 496 688,17. WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the complainant had raised alarm after his company was allegedly not paid for installing IT infrastructure at the hospital in question, in 2023. “The complainant alleges that his company, together with the company that Radebe worked for, were appointed by the Free State Department of Health to form part of the project to install IT infrastructure at the Botshabelo District Hospital’s doctors’ quarters. “He also alleges that he was informed by one of the suspects’ company that the project had been completed in December 2023, and that a payment to an amount of R1 496 688,17 had been made to another company, and not directly to the complainant’s company,” said Matoti. She said according to information provided, Radebe was the project coordinator who supplied information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and its installation during the commencement of the project to the value of R206 942,50. In addition, the complainant’s company executed part of the work. “As a result, the complainant was prejudiced and suffered a loss of R1 496 688,17,” said Matoti.
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leader, says that all the questions, some of which date back as far as 2017, will now be resubmitted tot the metro. The FF Plus has listed 22 outstanding questions, one of which dates back to March 2022. These include questions on a wide array of topics ranging from broken water meters and illegal electricity connections, to the number of building inspectors in the city, and how long the process of approving or rejecting building plans takes.
Fraud case lands in court
17 Feb!
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PHOTO: TEBOHO SETENA
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