A revelation has emerged that the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation (GDSACR) has squandered public funds by renting a state-owned monument through a service provider.
According to a reply by MEC Matome Chiloane, the department paid R449 618 to Mahloko Makhetha Trading and Projects for organising the commemoration of the Boipatong Massacre in June 2024.
The Boipatong Massacre took place on the night of June 17, 1992, in the township of Boipatong in the Vaal, where about 45 people died.
The DA in Gauteng said that the most egregious aspect of this expenditure was that R94 300 was paid to the service provider for hiring the Boipatong Monument, a venue that the department owns.
The DA’s Gauteng Shadow MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, Kingsol Chabalala, labelled this decision as “unacceptable and suspicious”.
Chabalala has condemned the department’s actions, stating that the funds could have been better utilised to make use of the monument and nurture the artistic and creative potential of the Boipatong area.
“The department has wasted money on renting this facility, which it owns, through a service provider.
“These funds could have helped make use of the monument so we nurture the artistic and creative potential of the Boipatong area,” he said.
The DA has also highlighted discrepancies in the department’s claims, citing a statement from the Municipal Manager of Sedibeng District Municipality, Motsumi Mathe, which indicates that the Boipatong Monument was not rented out on the specified dates and that there was no rental fee for the event.
“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 said.
Chabalala has pledged to refer this matter to the Auditor-General due to what they called its apparent violation of the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA).
“The DA will not rest until the reasons behind the department’s decision are uncovered and those responsible are held accountable,” Chabalala.
The party has accused the department of having a reputation for spending outside of its priorities, resulting in a failure to serve the people of the province.
He said the DA had proposed an alternative plan, which would have utilised the funds to make use of the Boipatong Monument, enhancing local tourism, attracting investment, and creating jobs for residents.
Efforts to reach Mathe or the Sedibeng district were fruitless, while Chiloane’s phone rang unanswered.