The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) in Gauteng has vowed to stage a massive protest in Tshwane, dubbed “the mother of all protest actions”, over alleged mismanagement of funds.

This follows media reports that the municipality spent a staggering R777 million on water tankers, overshooting the allocated budget by R457m.

The MKP questioned the financial management and accountability of the municipality, particularly regarding the massive expenditures during the 2024/25 financial year.

Abel Tau, MKP Gauteng spokesperson, expressed outrage on behalf of the party, citing the City of Tshwane’s expenditure of over R777m on water tankers by the end of the financial year. 

“This is a huge indictment on Mayor (Nasiphi) Moya and her party, who have styled themselves as corruption busters and efficient, while it is merely a smokescreen to conceal their reckless spending,” he said.

Tau, who is a former MMC for Human Settlements in Tshwane, highlighted that Moya had recently cut off essential services to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital and Pretoria Secondary School due to minor delays in rate and tax payments. 

In May, Moya led a revenue-collection campaign called Tshwane Ya Tima, which resulted in the power outage at the psychiatric hospital due to an outstanding debt of R1.2 million. 

Tau alleged that the power cuts were intended to prioritise spending on water tankers, implying that funds were being diverted to support this initiative.

“MK Party can safely say that service delivery has come to an almost standstill in townships. Today, as it rains, most communities from Soshanguve Block DD, Lotus Gardens in Atteridgeville, and all the way to Nellmapius are without electricity because necessary preventative maintenance is not prioritised. We are calling on the residents of Tshwane to stand up to this abuse of public funds,” he said.

He said the MKP will formally write to Moya, demanding answers and accountability regarding the alleged reckless spending on water tankers.

Additionally, the party plans to approach the Auditor-General and the Public Protector to ensure Moya is held accountable for her actions.

“MKP Tshwane will also be gearing itself up for the mother of all protest actions in Tshwane. We will do everything in our power to ensure that, in line with one of our pillars, we restore the dignity of the people of Tshwane, especially those who are systematically deprived of basic services,” Tau said.

The MKP’s sharp criticism of the R777m water tanker expenditure follows similar calls from the DA, Soil of Africa Civic Movement, and Afrika Mayibuye Movement, which have all demanded accountability from the multiparty coalition government.

Bongani Ramontja, leader of the Soil of Africa Civic Movement, said the city must immediately publish a full breakdown of expenditure on water-tanker services for the last three fiscal years.

DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink said his party has formally written to Tshwane Municipal Manager Johann Mettler, requesting a comprehensive probe. 

He also plans to report the matter to the Public Protector, citing potential maladministration and concerns about internal interference in the investigation.

Mayoral spokesperson, Samkelo Mgobozi, said on Monday that Moya would address the water tanker expenditure issue in a statement on Tuesday morning. 

However, neither Moya nor Finance MMC Eugene Modise has commented on the matter, despite a request for comment.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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