The Eastern Cape Department of Local Government is to appoint service providers to further delay findings on municipal corruption by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).

The municipalities of Koukamma, Kouga, Alfred Nzo and Sundays River Valley were fingered by the SIU for investigation — a process that started some 18 months ago.

Although the reports are concluded, the department wants to appoint additional service providers to “complete the reports”.

The appointment of service providers to finalise the reports appears to be a cover up and a delay tactic to not make public the contents of these allegedly damning reports of corruption in these municipalities.

Furthermore, this is an unnecessary cost and waste of public money.

It is in the public interest that these reports be released and then compared to the Auditor General’s reports on these municipalities to verify the quality of the SIU findings.

On behalf of the DA I have questioned the MEC for Local Government, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, on this issue and await his response.

I will be raising this matter in the portfolio committee and the legislature with the MEC, asking him why he has not released the reports, when they will be relased and the cost and reasons for appointing service providers in this matter.

In addition, this matter is also being taken up by the DA in parliament for investigation by the Minister of Cooperative Governance.

With recent media reports from the ANC Legotla committing themselves to clean and transparent government, the MEC and Minister must lead by example and release these reports immediately.