Johannesburg - The DA in the North West has given Premier Supra Mahumapelo and five of his MECs F ratings in their annual scorecard.
MEC for Roads and Public Works Madoda Sambatha and MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements Fenny Gaolaolwe could not be rated at all because their performances were so poor, according to the DA.
The auditor-general’s office revealed that Sambatha’s department has irregular expenditure of more than R1 billion.
“No significant progress is being made under Sambatha’s leadership. It is impossible to give him a score as there is not a grade low enough to suit his ineffective department that is openly wasting taxpayers’ money and ignores the rule of law - especially when it comes to the management of public funds.
"It is suggested that he rather be utilised in the SACP than in government.
"The result of his governance is evident in the state of our infrastructure in North West. Like last year, we recommend that he be fired,” North West DA leader Joe McGluwa said.
At the heart of Mahumapelo’s rating, McGluwa said, is that “his latest unilateral decision to blow millions on a private jet leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
“It is now clear that the cabinet performance went from bad to worse and that bringing change to the North West has never been more important.
“This cabinet, just like Jacob Zuma, is more concerned with putting their personal interests first, and the people of South Africa stone-last,” McGluwa said.
However, Mahumapelo’s spokesperson Brian Setswambung poured cold water on the DA’s claims against the premier and his MECs.
Setswambung said Mahumapelo and his cabinet had honoured all their commitments in respect of the provincial government. “The province enjoys stability and this is a consequence of the extent to which government successfully implements service delivery initiatives, such as Setsokotsane, which expedites service delivery provision to communities in the province.
“If the premier and the provincial cabinet were putting their interests first ahead of those of the people, as the DA claims, he would not have implemented the following cost-saving measure: members of the provincial cabinet will purchase vehicles not exceeding R600 000 even if the ministerial handbook provides for R900 000,” Setswambung said.
He said Mahumapelo had not purchased a new car since he took office in 2014 and had not allowed catering during his cabinet meetings.
“The two vehicles he inherited from his predecessors have far exceeded the 120 000 km mark.
"He lives in his own house at no cost to the state.
"He built a guard-house at his own expense (R50 000) and declined an offer from the Department of Public Works to build him a guard-house to the tune of R500 000,” Setswambung said.
But McGluwa accused Ma- humapelo of using community projects to canvass support for the ANC and said the premier only made rare appearances in affairs affecting the government.
“He will leave a poor legacy on developing the youth and it is sad that he used the YES (Youth Entrepreneurs Service) fund to score political points.
"His open affiliation with the Guptas makes him untrustworthy.
"He is more concerned with protecting Jacob Zuma and campaigning for the next president of the ANC than delivering as premier of one of the poorest provinces in South Africa."
In the DA's ratings, only the Speaker of the Legislature, Susan Daantjie, and MEC for Finance Wendy Nelson were spared from ridicule. Both received a C rating, down from B last year.
MEC for Tourism Desbo Mohono also survived the DA’s onslaught, but the party questioned expenditure of more than R500000 allegedly without following procurement procedures.
McGluwa accused Daantjie of using her position to silence the opposition, while Nelson was fingered for allegedly failing to intervene in poor-performing municipalities.
“Internal audits reveal that the MFMA (Municipal Finance Management Act) is ignored in most municipalities. Her inability to practise consequence management is a huge concern.
"Taxpayers’ money is wasted and the latest audit outcome indicates irregular expenditure of more than R1 billion,” McGluwa said.
He said that was why they had not given MEC Gaolaolwe a rating.
“This former social development MEC has done very little to resolve the mess in this department. This department has been labelled the biggest culprit by the auditor-general’s findings when it comes to service delivery.
"Gaolaolwe, a close ally of the premier, has much more to prove, taking into consideration her skills and leadership capacity to turn this troubled department around.
"The department has regressed due to a lack of management and accountability to such an extent that 24 contractors have been rewarded contracts of R1 billion without monitoring the progress monthly,” he said.
Gaolaolwe received an F rating for acting as MEC for social development.
The rest of the MECs - in education, health, agriculture, safety and security and arts, culture and traditional affairs - obtained F ratings.
“The DA will continue to keep the premier and his team accountable,” McGluwa concluded.