R132 million meant for NW Rebranding Programme disappeared like dust in the wind
5 October 2020
Note to Editors: Find attached soundbites in English by DA North West Spokesperson on Community Safety and Transport Management, Freddy Sonakile.
During Premier Job Mokgoro’s recent appearance before the Zondo Commission, it was revealed that, out of the R132 million budgeted for the Mafikeng Rebranding, Repositioning and Renewal Programme (MRRRP), R50 million was irregularly paid to SA Express.
Each Provincial Department donated R10 million, that was meant for service delivery programmes, towards the MRRRP, which was then ringfenced by the Office of the Premier to carry out the projects. The programme was later expanded into 23 projects. An additional R100 million was provided in the 2015/16 budget of the Office of the Premier to bolster the initial budget of R132 million, thereby increasing the MRRRP budget to R232 million.
The fact that R50 million from this budget was irregularly spent on SA Express, is a strong indication that the entire R232 million was misspent.