PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - ActionSA has lodged a formal complaint about the appointment of Mhlanga Attorneys to provide legal services to the Bitou Municipality, saying it was made in contravention of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).

ActionSA Garden Route chairperson Patrick Fepiwe said as per the MFMA, this appoint-ment must be approved by the CFO and municipal manager, but it was instead approved by a different official.

Fepiwe said ActionSA Garden Route was seeking a formal explanation as to why it was not approved through the prescribed channel.

The party also called for this expenditure to be immediately reported to the council and the provincial treasury as irregular, in accordance with MFMA circulars.

Fepiwe wanted an independent investigation by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) into the relationship between the procurement department and Mhlanga Attorneys.

He also said that all further payments to the firm should be suspended pending the outcome of a forensic audit.

Escalate

If ActionSA does not receive a response within 14 days it will escalate the matter to the Auditor-General, the Public Protector and the SIU, said Fipiwe.

He said ActionSA's investigation and observations indicated that the procurement of the services of Mhlanga Attorneys failed to meet a number of legal and policy requirements, including irregular expenditure, lack of proper authorisation, restrictive and biased bidding and violation of Bitou's Supply Chain Management Policy.

A request for comment was sent to Bitou's Acting Municipal Manager, Christopher Mapeyi, on Monday. As soon as it is received, it will be added.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’