BCM may have lied over Fani suspension

BUFFALO City Metro (BCM) officials may have lied to parliament by claiming metro boss Andile Fani had been suspended for only two months.

The Daily Dispatch has seen a copy of the report submitted by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to the national oversight committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs on officials suspended across the eight metros in the country. According to the report, 13 officials were currently under suspension in BCM.

Among those cited in the report was the “city manager” Fani, who is said to have been suspended for a period of two months, facing charges of “financial misconduct and intimidation”, and that the “total remuneration during period of suspension” was R318 231.

Fani has been suspended for almost a year now and his matter has yet to be resolved.

The revelation follows questions asked by DA MP David Matsepe to Cogta Minister Des van Rooyen about the number of officials suspended across the metros, the duration of suspensions, salaries paid during that process and whether a severance package was paid to any municipal official.

Matsepe yesterday was shocked to learn that the response contained inaccurate information about the Fani saga. He said he had not seen the report published by the parliamentary monitoring group on Wednesday last week.

“I will have a look at it. If there are inaccuracies I will talk to the DA chief whip. You cannot submit lies in parliament.”

Cogta provincial spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam said the national office was dealing with the matter because it seemed that the information was sourced from BCM not the provincial office.

The report further states that other suspended officials included:

● An acting chief operating officer for financial misconduct who was paid R190 970 for a month;

● An assistant manager facing gross insubordination and negligence charges suspended for 14 months and paid R357 606;

● A senior licensing clerk charged for theft and misappropriation of funds suspended for seven months and paid R93 663; and

● An assistant manager charged with negligence and dishonesty suspended for four months and paid R106 463.

In February, the Daily Dispatch reported that 10 officials were suspended between August 2014 and October last year and all their disciplinary hearings were still pending. Their alleged transgressions included gross insubordination, fraud, theft, misappropriation of funds, corruption and unauthorised use of municipal vehicles.

The suspensions cost ratepayers R1.2-million according to a confidential council report.

Cogta national spokesman Legadima Leso and BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi had not responded at the time of writing. —