PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The IPM has responded to Bitou Mayor Dave Swart's "Letter from the Mayor’s Desk", which unpacked the the controversy surrounding the 2021/22 budget of R884m that was not approved by the council.
IPM Secretary General Zwelakhe Mbatsha said the IPM has been putting pressure on Swart "to give us, as the residents of Bitou, an update on the numerous investigations he has announced".
Mbatsha said it has been more than a year since these investigations were announced.
"And nothing has happened. We as IPM stand for accountability and consequence management. This is the only way corruption will be done away with."
The investigations announced, according to Mbatsha, included:
- illegal appointments of unqualified staff;
- the illegal use of municipal petrol cards;
- allegations of bribery that happened in the Qolweni housing project; and
- the R884m 'unauthorised expenditure' highlighted by the auditor general.
"We would like to remind the mayor that just because the IPM councillor is chairperson of MPAC, that does not mean that the mayor ceases to be accountable to the people," said Mbatsha.
"Only the mayor has the power to take action against corruption. MPAC can only advise and make recommendations. Furthermore, the mayor must remember that he is accountable to all the residents of Bitou, not just to Ward 2 residents, or only the councillors in council."
According to Mbatsha, Swart's duty is to publicly explain the goings-on in the municipality to Bitou residents. "And by publicly we mean face to face, not Facebook posts. The people did not vote for him on Facebook. Addressing the residents is not MPAC’s role, unless he wants the MPAC chair to be mayor."
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