Controversial Spending: DA Gauteng slams Boipatong Monument hire

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The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has lambasted the provincial department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation (GDSACR) wasteful expenditure on renting Boipatong Monument and Youth Centre.

The party claims the public funds wasted paying a service provider could have instead be invested in operationalising the facility which it(GDSACR) owns.

These funds could have helped operationalise the monument to nurture the artistic and creative potential of the Boipatong area, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Kingsol Chabalala MPL said.

He also stated that the department spent R449,618.00 to pay the service provider, Mahloko Makhetha Trading and Projects, for organising the commemoration of the Boipatong massacre held on the 28 and 29 June 2024.

“Of this total amount, R94,300.00 was paid to the service provider for hiring the venue, the Boipatong Monument. The department’s decision to pay a third party to hire a venue it owns is unacceptable and suspicious.

“More so because the municipal manager of Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM), Motsumi Mathe, has officially informed the DA that the Boipatong Monument was not rented out on the specified dates and that there was no rental fee for this event since the SDM was the host,” he remarked.

Hiring of Boipatong Monument referred to Auditor

Chabalala highlighted that while they acknowledge the need to celebrate commemorative events, as the party they strongly condemn the GDSACR’s irresponsible spending.

He continued; “We demand that the department focus on its core mandate of providing adequate services to the people of Gauteng, rather than wasting public funds on renting government facilities.

“We will promptly refer this matter to the Auditor General (AG) due to its apparent violation of the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) and will not rest until the reasons behind the department’s decision to rent a state-owned facility are uncovered and those responsible are held fully accountable.

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“This investment would enhance local tourism, attract investment to stimulate the local economy, and ultimately create jobs for residents of Boipatong. Such responsible spending would promote the effective delivery of the GDSACR’s core mandate.”

Chabalala added that they will continue to keep a close eye on this department, which has earned a reputation for spending outside of its priorities, resulting in a failure to serve the people of our province.