Committee uncovers irregularities in stadium project in Leandra
The visit followed a 2019 petition by the local sports council citing poor workmanship on the stadium, initially envisioned as a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility.
Committee chairperson Siphosezwe Mahlangu opened the meeting by outlining the committee's constitutional mandate.
All the stakeholders were invited to account for their roles in the project.
The Govan Mbeki Municipality, represented by municipal manager Elliot Maseko, explained that R11m in funding was received through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) for phase one of the project in 2018/19.
However, serious discrepancies in execution were identified, leading the municipality to allocate an additional R3m for remedial work and request R10m from the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR) for phase two.
The DCSR withheld the funds due to unresolved concerns regarding misallocated spending in phase one. MEC Leah Mabuza praised the sports council's responsible actions and the legislature's oversight, committing to ensuring accountability.
She emphasised the importance of quality service delivery in projects uplifting poor communities. The provincial and national Departments of Sports, Arts and Culture said several errors had plagued phase one.
The provincial department denied early involvement in the project, a claim disputed by the national department and viewed as unsatisfactory by the committee.
Songezo Phethelo, the director for infrastructure development at the national department, criticised the lack of ownership from provincial counterparts. This committee echoed this concern, demanding higher standards of accountability.
Sports council chairperson Abednego Lukhele recounted the council's exclusion from the project's implementation, blaming it for the substandard outcome.
He commended the legislature for its intervention and the community of Leandra for responding peacefully despite frustrations.
The committee condemned the overall handling of the project and raised several unresolved questions, including:
• Why was the provincial department not involved from the beginning?
• What remedial actions have been taken?
• Is the project's current state worth the R11m already spent?
• Why was the sports council excluded from the project steering committee?
• Why were payments approved for uncompleted work?
The committee expressed concern over escalating costs now estimated at R24m and called for serious consequence management, which might include employee dismissals, arrests, repayment of public funds and blacklisting the implicated service providers.
The matter was referred to the Select Committee on Public Accounts for further investigation, with a directive for all stakeholders to submit detailed reports and attend future hearings.
ALSO READ: A day in the life of a Standerton midwife
ALSO READ: Tshwane is making strides in tackling Bronkhorstspruit's water issues
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