Water and Sanitation Minister Flags R3.7 Million in Illicit Payments to Board Members
- Two water board members have been accused of receiving R3.7 million in excessive board fee payments over the past three years
- Members of the Amatola Water Board received R2.8 million, while those at the Magalies Water Board were paid R960,000 between 2022/23 and 2024/25
- Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina revealed this while answering questions in Parliament
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina revealed that board members of two water boards are accused of receiving R3.7 million in unapproved board fee overpayments over the past three years. The disclosure came while she was responding to parliamentary questions from MK Party MP Visvin Reddy.
R3.7 million in unapproved board fee overpayments
Reddy asked Minister Majodina if any water board members had received overpayments without her approval in the past three financial years. He also requested a list of all water boards where members were paid more than the approved limits during the same period, as required by law. In reply, Majodina confirmed that members of the Amatola and Magalies Water Boards were paid beyond the maximum allowable fees over the past three financial years without prior approval. Her response showed that Amatola board members received R2.8 million, while those at Magalies Water Board were paid R960,000 between 2022/23 and 2024/25.
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Majodina said that in May 2024, the ministry raised concerns about water board members requesting approval for extra hours of work retroactively. This followed the Department of Water and Sanitation discovering breaches of the Policy on Board Practices and Remuneration of Board Members. She said the ministry had made it clear that approval for extra hours would only be granted in exceptional cases, and that boards must obtain the Executive Authority’s permission before carrying out any additional work.
Source: Twitter
Action will follow after investigation
Majodina said an investigation was launched into governance issues at Amatola Water, including non-compliance with the Policy on Board Practices and Remuneration of Board Members. She added that the investigation has been completed, the report submitted for her review, and that appropriate action will follow based on its recommendations.
Majodina said that Magalies Water Board members were also paid beyond the maximum allowed hours over the past three financial years without prior approval. She added that the ministry plans to take disciplinary action against Magalies Water for breaching the Policy on Board Practices and Remuneration of Board Members.
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Source: Briefly News
