ZIWAPHI • VOL 3 NO 24 • 4 - 17 DECEMBER  2009

MBOMBELA

An Mpumalanga government department that must recover R61-million lost to corrupt officials has misspent a further R4-million.

The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport claims it spent the money “wrongly” while preparing for the construction of the provincial archive in Mbombela.

“The report of the auditor-general indicated that the department could not provide detailed information on the amount of R4 116 721 that was spent on the planning of the archive building,” said provincial chairperson of the Select Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), Fish Mahlalela.

“The department says it spent the money on a site that was earmarked to house the archive building, but later discovered that it had been rezoned for an access road,” he said.

Mahlalela, an ANC member who is known for grilling government officials on corruption, said Scopa could not accept the department's explanation of the missing money.

“The committee was not satisfied that the department spent the money on a wrong site. We strongly feel that they misled the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (who commissioned the building) by identifying a site which was earmarked for rezoning," Mahlalela said.

But it seems the department will get away with it because Scopa only warned that it should ensure "proper planning" for future projects.

Last month, a commission of inquiry exposed corruption of R61-million in projects to build the provincial archive and a disaster management centre in Mpumalanga.

The Engelbrecht Commission, which was appointed to investigate irregularities in the department, found that there was severe flouting of supply chain management processes in the awarding of the tenders.

Consultants overpriced the construction of the disaster management centre by at least R19-million, and the cost of the archive building went from R93-million to R148-million.

Chaired by Mpumalanga regional court president Naomi Engelbrecht, the commission recommended that the provincial government recover at least R61-million from those implicated.

Premier David Mabuza said consultants and government officials were involved in the corruption and fraud and would be punished.

Public Works department misspends R4-million