Embattled North West wasted R3.4 billion, MPs told

Parliament was told irregular expenditure of R3.4 billion was recorded in the 2017/ 2018 financial year.

“Appointment of incompetent officials, lack of consequent management and investigations into reported fraudulent practices, dysfunctional municipalities, unemployment and lack of support for youth initiatives,” said the task team’s chairperson Mpumi Mpofu.

She painted a bleak picture of the state of affairs in the province to the National Council of Province’s (NCOP) ad hoc committee on Thursday - the first update since the province was placed under administration by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The province was plunged into chaos following a prolonged strike by health workers and violent protests calling on Supra Mahumapelo to step down as Premier.

Mpofu says basic education took a huge knock due to the political unrest in the province.

“The finding was that the schools were not operational since 21 February 2018. Seventy-two schools have been affected.”

She says the splurge by officials crippled the heath sector, explaining that “there is a challenge of inadequate resources, so that unauthorised expenditure emerges from underfunding in the health sector”.

“The rising levels unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and the biggest one is the irregular expenditure that is of the highest magnitude and that’s a real concern for all of us,” Mpofu said, when asked about the biggest challenge facing the province.