MAHIKENG, NORTH WEST PROVINCE — Lawmakers are preparing to file a formal corruption case driven by severe Motoro Sports Ground project delays that have stalled a R10-million community upgrade for nearly two years. The parliamentary portfolio committee took action after reviewing direct community alerts and media reports, ultimately directing its sights at the Mamusa Local Municipality, Unene Holdings, and Aobakwe Consulting following an on-site inspection that exposed glaring financial discrepancies.
During the recent oversight visit, the lead Member of Parliament and committee spokesperson revealed that the contractor had already been paid approximately R6.2 million. However, a physical assessment of the site showed that the billed items do not correspond to the actual work completed on the ground, indicating that public funds were not spent validly.
According to the committee spokesperson, the situation exposes a profound collapse of governance and political leadership within the municipality. The local council has failed to hold its administration accountable, neglecting to utilize monthly Section 71 reports and quarterly updates. These oversight mechanisms are critical for triggering necessary interventions under the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) when irregularities occur.
The timeline of the contracts further deepens the suspicion of fraud. While the consultant was initially appointed for a six-month term and the contractor for eight months, the project remains unfinished after almost two years. Furthermore, the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) department confirmed that conditional grants meant to finance the sports ground were successfully transferred to the municipality. Despite this, local officials reportedly have no clarity on how the funds were managed or expended during the process.
Highlighting a broader crisis in the region, the MP described the situation as part of a disturbing trend of infrastructure projects turning into white elephants across the North West Province. This pattern is allegedly fueled by an “unholy relationship” and a lack of accountability among contractors, consultants, and municipal officials. The spokesperson stressed that a R10-million investment intended to foster grassroots sports and provide essential recreational spaces for the community must not be squandered.
To rectify the Motoro Sports Ground project delays and recover the misappropriated funds, Parliament has issued strict directives. The municipality is ordered to invoke Section 116, subsection 2 of the MFMA to pursue immediate legal action against both the contractor and the consultant. Additionally, the matter must be handed over to the Local Municipal Public Accounts Committee to invoke Section 32, which will conduct an independent verification to confirm the actual work done and assess value for money.
The accountability session was further complicated by the absence of key provincial figures. The Accounting Members of Council (AMCs) for Sports, Arts and Culture, and Recreation in the North West, along with COGTA provincial representatives, failed to attend the proceedings. In response, the portfolio committee plans to maintain engagement with these absent entities and will escalate the entire matter to the Office of the Premier in the North West Province to ensure comprehensive oversight and a final resolution.