Webblad: www.potchefstroomherald.co.za 6 Augustus 2020 Free Riool vloei in Fraud allegations Sexual offences die Mooirivier surrounding in Potch on the bl. 5 budget p. 2 rise again p. 5 NWU-raad keur verkose lid af Dustin Wetdewich plegtigheid as ‘n spesiale gas van die universiteit. “Ek is eers per brief na die NWU Raadsvergade- Groot ontsteltenis heers tans nadat twee mense uit ring ingelig dat ek verkies was en my verkiesing in Potchefstroom se geledere tot die NWU-raad verkies my afwesigheid afgekeur was op grond van die is, maar slegs een van die verkose lede se aanwy- beweerde versuim om sekere openbarings te maak.” sing deur die raad bekragtig is. In verband met die briefwisseling met die NWU in Theo Venter, politieke ontleder verbonde aan die 2018, sê hy dat dit nie enige hangende litigasie in Noordwes-Universiteit, skryf in ’n brief aan Beeld enige forum teen die universiteit is nie. dat die aankondiging dat die aanwysing van Hans- Dit was vrae wat aan die raad en/of bestuur van Jurie Moolman, bekende prokureur, voormalige die NWU gestel is oor kwessies wat vir oudstudente NWU student en munisipale raadslid, nie deur die en personeel op daardie stadium kommerwekkend raad bekragtig kon word nie, skokkend is en dat was. dit sy verstand te bowe gaan. “Ek glo die raad het ’n oordeelsfout begaan en Hy beskryf dit as ‘proaktiewe sensuur’ deur die die besluit moet heroorweeg word. Ek doen raad. Volgens Venter het die raad besluit om nie ’n beroep op individuele raadslede om te Moolman se verkiesing te bekragtig nie, ingevolge besin oor die besuit. Moolman is wettig art. 27(7)(e)i van die Wet op Hoër onderwys (1997), verkies en enige belangebotsing moet wat daarop neerkom dat ’n belange botsing bestaan. hanteer word nadat hy sitting in die “Moolman het in 2018 ’n brief aan die raadsvoor- raad geneem het en nie voor die tyd sitter van die NWU en die visekanselier geskryf in nie,” het Venter gesê. sy hoedanigheid as prokureur oor bewerings van Volgens Louis Jacobs, direkteur wanbestuur en korrupsie. Die vraag is nou of die van kommunikasie aan dié univer- brief, wat hy in in sy professionele hoedanigheid siteit, is die kwessie op die raads- namens ’n kliënt geskryf het, gesien kan word as ’n vergadering van 28 Julie hanteer. botsing van belange?” skryf Venter. “Na ’n regsopinie verkry is, het Die Herald het die brief wat Moolman in 2018 die raad besluit om nie mnr. aan die raad gestuur het, onder oë gehad. Dié brief Moolman se aanwysing tot die vra vrae wat onder meer met aanstellings en skei- raad te bekragtig nie, omdat dingspakkette van personeel te doen het, asook daar bewyse is dat die univer- vrae rondom die gebruik van die ampswoning van siteit moontlik teenstrydig met die visekanselier. art. 27(7)(e)i van die Wet op Volgens Moolman is hy aan die begin van die jaar Hoër onderwys (1997) sou as lid van die konvokasie en deur lede van die wees. konvokasie genomineer. Alle verdere kommunikasie “Die uitslae van die verkiesing is eers by die met die betrokke partye onlangse raadsvergadering bekend gemaak. Daar is word deur die registrateur toe in my afwesigheid besluit dat ek ’n botsing van en die voorsitter van die belange het wat ek nie geopenbaar het nie. Ek weet raad hanteer,” het Jacobs nie wanneer ek openbaarmakings moes maak as ek gesê. nie eers bewus was van die feit dat ek verkies was nie. Ander raadslede van die universiteit was eers Hans-Jurie Moolman, wie versoek om belange te verklaar nadat hulle verkie- se verkiesing tot die sing bekragtig was,” verduidelik hy. NWU-raad nie deur die Hy was ook nie onder die indruk dat daar ‘n raad bekragtig is nie. Foto: botsing was nie, aangesien hy einde verlede jaar nog Verskaf persoonlik deur die visekanselier genooi is na ‘n 2 www.potchefstroomherald.co.za Potchefstroom Herald 6 Augustus 2020 Budget battle intensifies Dustin Wetdewich According to Chris Hattingh, a DA councillor, the council resolution that “The provisions of the MFMA only the MM refers to, was altered and provide for a municipal council of a did not reflect what the council municipality to either approve the agreed upon on 3 July. annual budget of the municipality or “The budget decision was pre- not. An annual budget cannot ‘provi- mised upon unconditionally and sionally’ or ‘conditionally’ be appro- unanimously adopting a written ved, as alleged in the media state- proposal submitted by the DA. ments.” “Paragraph 1 of the adopted, This was the response of the office written proposal reads as follows: of the municipal ‘1. That the manager (MM) IDP and budget over allegations The DA has be provisionally that the munici- and conditional- pal budget for ly adopted.’ 2020/2021 was not reported a Paragraph 4 approved. of the adopted, According to Hans- case of fraud in written proposal Jurie Moolman, the reads as fol- caucus leader of the respect of the lows: DA, council, as a ‘ ‘4. That the collective, decided to council final approval of set conditions for the budget is approving the budget. resolutions suspended upon Therefore, if these the fulfilment of conditions are not being altered the above- met, then the council, mentioned as a collective, cannot pass the conditions on or before 14 July budget. According to him, the verba- 2020 and that a failure to meet the tim record, which is a sound recor- said conditions will result in the ding of the council meeting, reflects rejection of the budget with pros-pec- that this decision was made by tive effect and as from 14 July 2020, council as a collective and was not up until the conditions are adhered only conditions set by the DA. to.’ According to Lebu Ralekgetho, the “The only change that was adopted MM, the council resolution clearly was that 14 July was substituted states that the budget was approved. with a period of 14 days from 3 July ‘The portion of the resolution 2020. doing so read as follows: “Resolved: “Meanwhile, the DA has reported a 1. That the 2020/2021 Annual case of fraud in respect of the coun- Budget Medium Term Revenue and cil resolutions being altered and Expenditure Framework (MTREF), used to make certain misrepre- for the J.B. Marks Local Munici- sentations to the Hawks. The party pality be approved.” The said reso- will await the outcome of the investi- lution went on to state: “2. That a gation,” said Hattingh. He has provi- Special Council Meeting is convened ded the Herald with a printed versi- within 14 days for management to on of the verbatim record. respond to questions posed as The conditions for the approval of Lebu Ralekgetho, municipal manager, of J.B. Marks municipality. Foto: ARCHIVE/Provided non-negotiable conditions by the the budget include several reports. Democratic Alliance...” and that Among them are all the overtime that ons concluded with service providers Willie Maphosa, told News24 that, cognisance is taken of other mat- was paid in the previous financial below the threshold of R30,000 in according to the council resolution, ters,” said Ralekgetho in a year, any investigations into irregu- the past three financial years. Ano- the budget was adopted on 3 July statement. lar, fruitless and wasteful expenditu- ther condition is a record of of all and the use of the word “provisional” re for the last four fiscal years and the means that were employed in in a subsequent media statement full details of all legal proceedings removing household waste, concer- was “an honest mistake”. Yet, earlier, for or against the J.B. Marks Local ning the use of waste trucks for the he had replied to the Herald’s enqui- Municipality in the past five years. past two fiscal years. Written proof ries by stating that, “The final appro- They include a detailed breakdown that all directors and senior mana- val of the budget depends on the of all private security services rende- gers were appointed in line with the administration submitting certain red to the council in the past three council resolutions is also required. outstanding reports related to muni- years and full details of all transacti- According to Moolman, no reports cipal operations. Council will recon- have been sent to the council, nor vene on or after 14 July 2020 to has the continuation of the council consider these reports and then meeting taken place. pronounce substantively on the “Municipalities across the country status of the budget.” adopted their budgets with certain According to Dr Len Mortimer conditions attached for approval. from the School of Public Leadership There is nothing new about a budget at Stellenbosch University, if the being approved with certain budget is not approved, then the conditions.” MEC needs to intervene in terms of “The conditions in question have section 139 of the constitution. no bearing on the budget itself as “Except if the municipality was given management will have to deal with exemption from the MEC to carry on those issues administratively,” with the previous year’s budget. If Ralekgetho said in a previous state- not, any expenses would be deemed ment to the Herald. as unauthorised expendi- The municipal spokesperson, ture,” he said. 6 Augustus 2020 Potchefstroom Herald www.potchefstroomherald.co.za 3 PPAC does not accept municipality’s excuses Venessa van der Westhuizen the amount was paid for five litres Moreover, certain persons and one report, which they should of sanitising liquid. entities saw it fit to burden law have done on 9 June,” Dliso said. The office of the municipal mana- The statement also rejects the enforcement agencies with these According to him, the J.B.