SCOPA meets Bakubung ba Ratheo over the D-Account
On Friday, 17 January 2014, the Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts started with the process of consultation with Bakubung ba Ratheo in preparation of a public hearing of the D-Account that will be held at the end of this month whereby communities will be given an opportunity to make presentations.
The Chief of Bakubung, Kgosigadi (Chief) Margaret Monnakgotla made a presentation on how the resources of this community had been depleted without any consultation with the royal family, the Chief and neither the community. She said the former administrator, Jeanette Dibetso-Nyathi, whose contract came to an end on the 31 October 2013 did not account on activities of contractual agreements she made with mining houses and private companies; and the chief also alleged that the Administrator caused divisions amongst members of the royal family and the community of Bakubung.
Chief Margaret Monnakgotla said members of the family went from pillar to post, with written letters to the Office of the Premier, the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, the Presidency, National Prosecuting Authority, the Public Protector’s office but have not received any assistance to this day.
“We have written letters of complaint with regard to the status of the Bakubung Account after we terminated the former Administrator’s contract, as she could not provide valuable, effective reports of all contractual agreements she made in our name.
“We have lost a lot of money on these contracts and there is no accountability or track record on how the community’s money was spent, but we were only told of R900 000 deposited into the D- Account”, said Chief Monnakgotla.
The Chief appreciated the committee’s intervention on behalf of the Bakubung ba Ratheo Tribal community.
The committee resolved to have a public hearing after the meeting that was held on Tuesday, 14 January with Bapo Ba Mogale as a response to the community’s call to be allowed to make inputs on all matters that affect them which concern the D-Account.
The identified communities who will be given a platform to make inputs will be the Bapo ba Mogale, Bakwena ba Mogopa, Bakubung ba Ratheo, Batlhako ba Leema and other communities that are affected in the D-Account. The committee will also invite the Premier of the province as well as the two departments responsible for the management of the D-Account, the Department of Finance and Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs.
“We want to assure the Bakubung Tribal Authority that there will be accountability on all monies spent by those we have entrusted to assist our poor communities so that we can see a more productive and developed community,” said Hon. Chauke
