GOOD Statement by Ashwill Oktober,
GOOD Garden Route District Municipality councillor
17 June 2025
A former Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (PBI) Garden Route District Municipality councillor, now serving as an EFF Member of Parliament, owes the municipality R92,006 following an overpayment during their time in office.
Virgill Gericke was erroneously paid R164,213, a result of a portfolio change that was “not communicated to the finance department in time”. While the municipality managed to recover R70,507 through SARS and monthly deductions from the councillor’s salary, payments stopped when the councillor left the municipality in November 2023 to take up their new position in Parliament under the EFF.
In January 2024, an agreement was reached for the councillor to resume repayments at just R500 per month, a rate so low that it would take over 15 years to settle the debt without any interest
As GOOD, we call on the EFF to hold their MP accountable. Public representatives must lead by example. This is not just about a technical error, it’s about ethical governance. A sitting Member of Parliament cannot continue to benefit from a municipal error without taking immediate steps to rectify it.
The public deserves assurance that funds lost due to administrative errors or political transitions will be fully and swiftly recovered, not quietly deferred or written off.
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