Whistleblowers within the Mogalakwena Local Municipality have come forward with damning allegations that the bulk of the municipality’s budget is being lost to systemic corruption and irregular expenditure, with their attempts to expose the rot seemingly falling on deaf ears.
Frustrated employees, who took the courageous step to report their concerns, now feel abandoned. Their efforts included writing directly to the Presidency and the office of Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba, pleading for an investigation. They also opened a formal case with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) in October of last year.
Despite these high-level alerts, nearly a year later, little action has been taken. Instead, several of the whistleblowers have reportedly faced severe professional retaliation, including being fired or demoted from their positions.
The allegations are wide-ranging. At the centre of the scandal is the appointment of Municipal Manager, Mr. Moraurice Malule, in September 2022. Whistleblowers raised serious concerns over his alleged involvement in investing funds at the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank while he held a similar position at a different municipality.
A representative has publicly defended Malule, stating, “I want to indicate to you today that Maris Malule our municipal manager he is not implicated anywhere on issues of VBS.”
Further allegations involve the municipality’s decision to hire a fleet of cars for millions of rands while its own municipal vehicles sat idle at a mechanic for service. The mayor claimed this move saved the municipality money, reducing monthly fleet expenditure from over R4 million to R1.1 million. However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has vehemently refuted this, stating the costs have “ballooned astronomically” and that the municipality has much to answer for.
The human cost of the alleged corruption is becoming painfully clear. Residents are now bearing the brunt, with reports of severe water challenges forcing them to drink murky and possibly contaminated water. Shockingly, one of the alleged beneficiaries of the water tender was said to be a municipal employee.
The situation has drawn the attention of opposition parties, who are calling for investigations by the Public Protector and the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA). A DA representative described the issue as a potential “syndicate operating” and a form of “state capture.”
The timing of these revelations is poignant, as they emerged as the country commemorated the life of assassinated whistleblower Babita Deokaran. Despite national efforts to review legislation to better protect informants, the whistleblower at the heart of the Mogalakwena case says he has been let down by the system.
When approached for comment, the Hawks’ spokesperson stated that the matter was sub judice due to an interim court order. “So we cannot go into detail… we cannot comment further,” he said.
With mounting pressure from the public and political parties, all eyes are now on law enforcement and Chapter 9 institutions to determine if a full and proper investigation into the allegations at the Mogalakwena Local Municipality will finally be launched.
