Minister Anton Bredell notes the Public Protector Report on Allegations of Improper Conduct and Maladministration by the George Municipality.
4 March 2022
The Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, has noted the publication of the Public Protector’s ‘Report on an Investigation into allegations of improper conduct and maladministration by the George Municipality relating to the alleged irregular investment of public funds with Old Mutual Limited’ on 28 February 2022.
The report follows from events in 2017 relating to George Municipality investing R350million of public funds with Old Mutual Limited.
The Public Protector has issued a range of remedial actions which the Executive Mayor and the Acting-Municipal Manager of the George Municipality have been directed to implement. The Minister is aware of the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the remedial actions of the Public Protector are binding unless reviewed and set aside by a court of law and, absent such an application to court, the Executive Mayor and the Acting-Municipal Manager are accordingly bound to implement the remedial actions with the necessary diligence.
The Minister and his Department will accordingly engage with the Executive Mayor and Acting-Municipal Manager to ensure that, failing a judicial review of the report, the Municipality complies with any remedial actions of the Public Protector in full and duly submits its implementation plan to the Public Protector in a timely manner. The Minister has remained appraised of this investigation from the outset and will continue to closely monitor the implementation of the remedial steps the Municipality is required to take.
The remedial actions in the Public Protector’s report includes, amongst others, that the Executive Mayor take appropriate steps to ensure that the Audit Committee of the Municipality is properly constituted, as contemplated by section 166 of the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA), with members that are competent and that they have the necessary skills, qualifications, and experience to perform their statutory responsibilities.
Issued by Wouter Kriel, Spokesperson for Minister Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, 4 March 2022
