The FF Plus demands that the officials responsible for the R200 million fine imposed on the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality (GMM) for violating the National Environmental Management Act should pay it themselves.
The GMM was fined after it was found guilty on six charges, including the pollution of water sources, violating the National Water Act and failure to comply with a compliance notice.
The FF Plus demanded in an urgent letter to the Municipal Manager, Eliot Maseko, and the Mayor, Mr Nhlakanipho Zuma, that the guilty officials should be held personally liable for the fine.
A disciplinary inquiry should be conducted to determine which office-bearers are at fault so that as much of the fine amount as possible can be collected from them.
This is to ensure that taxpayers who loyally pay their service fees do not have to pay for the Municipality’s mismanagement as well.
The FF Plus has been putting pressure on the Municipality to resolve the ongoing sewage crisis and related pollution since 2019.
Decaying infrastructure and the mismanagement of funds are the main causes of this crisis.
The FF Plus will keep applying pressure to ensure that justice prevails and that the relevant offenders are held accountable for the fine.
Voters should oust the ANC from power on 29 May and replace it with an accountable coalition government of which the FF Plus is part.
With the ANC out of the way, we can restore and rebuild our country and its municipalities.
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