Audit exposes NFP corruption, DA says

A FORENSIC audit has revealed that the National Freedom Party (NFP) drove the northern KwaZulu-Natal municipality of Nongoma into the ground through the use of a “corrupt mafia-style elite”‚ the DA in the province says.

It said the proof was contained in the summary of a forensic audit into alleged irregularities in the municipality, including corruption‚ fraud and maladministration.

A copy of the report was recently given to the DA.

“According to the report‚ the audit was finalised on 5 December 2016. In January KZN Cogta MEC Nomusa DubeNcube sent the document to the municipal speaker with the instruction that she receive a response within 21 days.

“The DA is not aware of any response to date‚” the DA’s KwaZulu-Natal spokesman on cooperative governance and traditional affairs Hlanganani Gumbi said.

Gumbi said the forensic report investigated 21 different allegations with some damning findings. These included:

ý Manco’s alleged authorisation of a municipal account at a local store‚ where senior NFP municipal officials ran up a bill of R150 000 on items such as cooking oil‚ apples‚ baked beans and chakalaka.

This was done in contravention of supply chain management procedure.

In one instance the report states that purchases on this account were listed as an emergency; and

ý The alleged abuse of municipal funds with R90 000 spent on the purchase of 1 000 party T-shirts for the Indigenous Games held in Nongoma.

Auditors were hindered by the lack of municipal financial and supply chain records, Gumbi said.

The report recommends that R6.9-million be recovered‚” he said. – TimesLIVE