THE Sheriff of the court made a significant move against the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality in the Free State on Thursday, 25 April.
They attached the municipality's property, including 16 vehicles, computers, furniture, and laptops, among other items.
This action follows the victory of the controversial Kill Crime Security Company in a legal battle over an outstanding payment of R27 million by the municipality.
The company had been contracted to protect various municipal assets, including electricity substations and stadiums.
The contract with Kill Crime Security Company was terminated in 2022 after an investigation by the Hawks revealed that the R58 million tender was awarded without adhering to proper supply chain processes.
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This led to the arrest of the former municipal manager Futhuli Mothamaha, company founder Thabiso Skhosana, and his daughter Dimakatso, although they were later acquitted by the Commercial Crime Court.
The seizure of the municipality's assets has brought its operations to a standstill, with opposition parties blaming municipal officials for the financial mismanagement.
DA chief whip Moshe Lefuma criticised the officials for their role in the municipality's financial woes.
"This attachment of assets will once again prevent much needed service delivery in Maluti-a-Phofung. The municipality is in dire financial crisis and mismanagement and corruption is the root cause of its collapse," he said.
Similarly, MAP 16 Civic Movement spokesman Mmutlanyana Sekete highlighted the municipality's failure to fulfil its service delivery mandate.
It called for urgent intervention from both provincial and national departments of co-operative governance and traditional affairs.
Municipality spokesman Thabo Kessah declined to comment on the ongoing court matter. Sheriff Pule Foka also refrained from discussing the case with the media.
