Dear Editor
I have written to Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, to demand that her investigation into governance failures at uMngeni-uThukela Water includes the appalling luxury travel on a first class trip by a Water Board official to partake in the New York City Marathon.
The First Class flight for the official of the uMngeni-uThukela Water Board (UUW) cost taxpayers R125 000.00 – but governance troubles go beyond this to include millions in excess hours remuneration, conflicts of interest, nepotism, and corruption.
Minister Majodina’s investigation, announced earlier in October, must begin urgently, and be fully transparent. This includes the publishing of the report, after the investigation.
There is a general culture of secrecy and closed-ranks about UUW, and at last week’s Portfolio Committee oversight engagement with UUW, the board and executive declined to answer specific questions on governance issues related to recent allegations and said they would defer to the Minister’s investigation.
Staff of the entity are also being allegedly targeted, while board-level decisions at the centre of the allegations remain unchallenged. The precautionary suspension of Chief Compliance & Governance Officer, Mr Sibusiso Madonsela, in this context, risks the perception of scapegoating and a chilling effect on internal accountability.
Minister Majodina’s investigation must include:
- UUW sponsoring an official to the New York Marathon, including a R125 000.00 first-class airfare and additional expenses.
- Board “excess hours” payouts where directors paid themselves R2.6 million during the June 2024 ministerial transition, despite prior objections by the former Minister.
- Conflicts of interest: Claims that a law firm paid tens of millions by UUW hired the board chair’s daughter, and that another board member received substantial legal briefs from the same firm.
- Subsidiary governance failures: The removal of Khanyisani Stanley Shandu as chair of UUW’s subsidiary for undeclared interests, while he reportedly remains on the main Board for UUW.
While we know that Majodina’s Department has contested aspects of media reporting on these scandals, the facts are yet to be disclosed by way of an investigation.
The DA will not allow Minister Majodina to delay or frustrate this investigation. We will insist on a rapid and transparent investigation into uMngeni-uThukela Water, especially in the face of R125 000.00 of taxpayer money being spent on one flight for one public servant to fly to run a marathon.
South Africans deserve clean governance with clean water. Transparency now is essential to restore public confidence.
Regards
Stephen Moore MP
DA Spokesperson on Water & Sanitation