By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Public Protector has found that C-Squared, the events company appointed as a service provider for the funeral of the late Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe, was appointed without following the correct bidding process.
Makgoe, one of the longest-serving MECs in the Free State, died in a car accident in March.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Free State has called the R3.5 million bill an “abuse of state resources”, and filed a complaint with the Public Protector.
In a written reply to the DA, which had asked about the cost of Makgoe’s funeral, then Premier Mxolisi Dukwana’s revealed that the events company was appointed as the service provider for the funeral of the late Makgoe.
The DA’s leader in the province, Roy Jankielsohn, said the cost of Makgoe’s three funeral events amounted to R3 432 676. It seems most money at the funeral was used for beverages, which amounted to R1 288 500.
Different artists charged R355 000, flowers were R59 000, 20 couches for the family and dignitaries at two events cost a total of R28 380, a casket and burial plot were R130 900, and various other items that included lighting, stages, red carpets, projectors, and toilets added to the total of over R3 million.
Jankielsohn concluded that the DA will draft a complaint for investigation by the Public Protector on what they regard as abuse and plundering of state resources by the provincial government.
In response the provincial government said, if there is evidence that the amount in question constituted malfeasance, such will be dealt with, in the context of consequence management.
The Public Protector report found that the costs incurred were unreasonable.
The report further found that the irregular appointment of C-Squared led to overspending on Makgoe’s funeral. The report also found that the Director-General of the Department of Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs in the province, Kopung Ralikontsane, did not take effective and appropriate steps to prevent the irregular and excessive expenditure.
The Office of the Premier has been given 90 days to take disciplinary action against Ralikontsane for failure to execute his duties leading up to the funeral.
In 2020, state funerals came into the spotlight when it emerged the government paid R105 million for them in just two years.
The most money spent on a state funeral was that of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s, for which the state paid R35.7 million.
A subsequent investigation revealed Crocia Events, which had been contracted for some of the funerals, had overcharged the state to the tune of R76 million for the funerals of Madikizela-Mandela, Zola Skweyiya and Billy Modise.
Skweyiya and Modise’s funerals cost the state R28.9 million and R11.4 million, respectively.
C-Squared is also being investigated by the Hawks after allegations that its appointment as Macufe 2022 service provider was irregular.