Counter-accusations of corruption in court as axed ECDC committee chair fights for job

EASTERN Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) chief executive Ndzondelelo Dlulane is preparing for a court battle with the organisation’s fired chairwoman of the audit risk and compliance committee, Pamela Bosman. She has told the East London High Court that she was removed from her post in August when she refused to rubber-stamp ECDC’s wasteful expenditure of R12-million.

Bosman now wants the court to compel the ECDC to reinstate her.

Dlulane, in his reply to the court, rubbished Bosman’s claim, saying she was removed for giving business to her boyfriend’s company and failing to disclose her conflict of interest with a company that was awarded a R19.1-million loan by ECDC.

“The decision to remove me as the chairperson of the ARC was not based on my inability to act in that position, my failure to attend to what is necessary, or a dereliction of my duties. “The only basis for my removal is as a result of my unwillingness to accept an audit report prepared by the auditor-general which report is patently false,” Bosman said in her court papers.

She said the irregular expenditure included payment of a company secretary who was employed without following proper procedure and individuals who were promoted to levels which required that human resource requirements be fulfilled before posts could be filled.

Dlulane, however, argued that Bosman was guilty of conflict of interest as she was romantically involved with a man who operated an electrical contractor and fencing business that was trading with the ECDC.

Also, Bosman was the chairwoman of Lumoka, a firm of chartered accountants practicing in East London. He said it had emerged earlier this year that Lumoka was a supplier to an engineering company that had been granted a R19.1-million loan by the ECDC.

Bosman had personally assisted and advised the engineering firm on its application, Dlulane said.

The parties are waiting for a court date to argue the matter. —