The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) scrutinised and questioned the procurement report for the last quarter of 2025 during the most recent council meeting of the Lekwa Local Municipality (Standerton and Morgenzon).
This is after the ANC Mayor, Sifiso Mngemezulu, and the Mayoral Committee Member for Budget and Treasury, Thabang Motaung, dismissed excessive expenditure as mere “typos”, despite clear documentation proving the opposite.
Certain items were procured at prices dramatically exceeding market value, pointing to poor financial management, possible corruption or a complete lack of fiscal discipline.
Examples include:
- Six lengths of 6-metre square tubing, measuring and 75 mm × 75 mm, procured for R17 859, while it would cost only R3 209,70 at Cashbuild.
- A pack of 24 × 500 ml bottles of water purchased for R13 200 – more than 65 times the normal market price of around R200.
- 50 sandwiches with butter, bacon, egg and lettuce costing R26 250.
- Five 25 kg tubs of HTH chlorine granules (for swimming pools and water disinfection) at R36 363, while the market value is only R6 495.
- 15 plastic garden rakes at R15 500, while the same items would cost R1 335 at Cashbuild.
- Electrical stock procured at R1,867 million in October 2025 and additional stock procured at over R1 million in December 2025, while emergency stock is often not available.
For a Municipality characterised by years of poor service delivery, debt and maladministration problems, such overspending is unacceptable and borders on betrayal eroding taxpayers’ confidence.
A comprehensive audit of all procurements has to be conducted at once to restore fiscal discipline, hold offenders accountable and safeguard the interests of residents.
While the Mayor and his Mayoral Committee Member dismiss millions as mere “typos”, many Lekwa residents are impoverished and going hungry daily.
It is unthinkable that a staggering R26 250 of taxpayers’ money was squandered on 50 sandwiches, while many families in the same community cannot even afford to put dry bread on the table.
This maladministration is a slap in the face of every resident who pays their hard-earned money to a Municipality that is failing to fulfil its duty.
It is time to oust the ANC at the polls and replace it with a party, such as the Freedom Front Plus, that believes in accountability and decent service delivery.
Freedom Front Plus Formation: The FF Plus was formed in 1994 as the Freedom Front.
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