Cllrs summon Mayor over P570,000 US trip
Lebogang Baingapi | Tuesday February 28, 2017 17:18
In his previous address, Mayor Tsietsi Oodira-Kwenje admitted the relationship between them and their USA partners had failed dismally. Councillors turned the tables and called on Oodira-Kwenje to account and apologise for the wasted P570,000.
The council signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2014 through the then Mayor, Amos Jahana and his counterpart from Peoria in the USA, Jim Ardis, to formalise their partnership, but the relationship has been cold on the council side.
The council leadership under the current Mayor have made countless calls in an effort to contact their US friends on the agreement, but no sound response has come forth.
During the Friday full council meeting, Councillor Bankinyana Montsiemang of Ngami ward said public funds have been wasted in a relationship that has not benefited the Jwaneng Town Council.
He said the Mayor and the town clerk’s office should rather call the community and apologise for wasting such a huge amount of money without due care and diligence. “I still believe that little research was done before a delegation of staff and councillors went to the USA for benchmarking. This should be a wake up call for the council to be careful and accountable for public funds,” he charged.
He further indicated that projects implementation was also failing and the town management has failed to account for the misuse of funds. Montsiemang said currently the council was running a P5 million deficit, but the management is failing to account and make good use of the little resources.
Councillor for Mogale ward, Ronicah Ntsimako also charged that maladministration at the council has cost them millions of pulas. Consequently, he called on his fellow councillors to move a motion to seek audience with Tsogwane. He also indicated that little has been done in the Mayor’s road map.
Obed Monkge of Seole ward concurred with Ntsimako, further saying that the Mayor’s Trust Fund has also not been sustainable. He urged the council to map a way forward for other twinning relationships following the collapse of the City of Peoria friendship.
The town clerk, Dick Kalantle, however came out in defence of the City of Peoria trip, highlighting that it was planned for and that the councillors agreed that the lucrative partnership will have a positive impact on the Jwaneng community.
“It is unfortunate that an accusing finger is now pointing at the Mayor and the town clerk’s office. We should all be accountable because it was our collective decision. We should however admit that the management and the contractors have equally contributed to the delay in projects implementation and we are prepared to improve,” said Kalantle.
He advised the councillors to discuss any maladministration at council level before they could seek audience with the minister. He also urged them not to lose hope in twinning partnerships following the doomed City of Peoria friendship. Oodira-Kwenje and his deputy Kruger Chepete are currently serving the last three months of their respective terms.