Johannesburg - Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has appointed a company to conduct a forensic audit into the management of Bapong's resources.
“This move follows complaints from the Bapong community, who have alleged that the state has failed them, through regulatory failure,” said Madonsela's spokeswoman, Kgalalelo Masibi, in a statement on Friday.
“There are allegations of systematic looting of the collective resources of the Bapong community and those of other traditional communities' including funds under this account.”
The company appointed to carry out the audit is Greenmont Forensic Services.
“The Public Protector will continue investigating alleged maladministration while Greenmont will focus on impropriety and abuse of Bapong funds,” said Masibi.
In October last year, the Sunday Times reported that a R400 million fund of mining royalties in the North West province had not been audited since 1994.
Provincial MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs China Doduvu was quoted as saying that the fund, called the “D account” had not been audited since the dawn of democracy. - Sapa