The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Maluti-A-Phofung municipality in the Free State province is demanding answers after it emerged that the troubled municipality has made duplicate payments to a newly appointed security company.
As a result, Sizowakha Security Services has scored an additional R12 million from the municipality.
According to a bank statement separately obtained by the African Times, the duplicate payments started in February this year when the company scored R6 million twice on 28 February. A week later, on 3 March 2025, the company scored another R6 million through its FNB account. It did not end there, as on 27 March 2025, the company scored another R6 million from the municipality.
Yet, the company is supposed to be paid R6 million a month for the security services it renders to the municipality.
Alison Oates, a DA councillor in the municipality, alleged that deviations have been made to pay Sizowakha R6 006 860 every month. Thus, the company has been irregularly paid an extra R12m.
He claimed that the Municipal Manager (MM), Advocate Matthews Mofokeng, denied payments had to be made through him, and he had not authorised the double payments.
“It was then suggested that the item be referred to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), which has not successfully recommended financial mismanagement to the council in eight years.
We demanded an immediate investigation so that money could be recouped if it had been incorrectly paid. The MM refused to supply the DA with the results of this investigation and insisted that he would only provide them to MPAC,” Oates said.
Mofokeng said the security company was not double paid but there was glitch since they have an arrangement with their bank not to process any payments after 4pm, weekends and on holidays.
“Sizowakha was paid after 16hoo and the transaction was declined by the Bank so we had to pay again the following day. If people had inquired first they should have got correct info but because they are morons they just jumped to conclusions before verifying facts.hey clearly have ulterior motives.”
