Zumani opens case against acting city manager after salary stopped

Weeks after his salary was stopped by Nelson Mandela Bay acting city manager Luvuyo Magalela, Tukela Zumani, whose position as a DOP councillor is in limbo, reported a case against him at the Humewood police station.

Zumani alleges Magalela flouted the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) for a tender that saw the installation and maintenance of street lights.

This is despite an interim report by the municipality’s internal audit and risk assessment unit which found no reason for disciplinary action against Magalela.

His name, however, is mentioned several times in the report as he is the executive director for electricity and energy.

Zumani submitted the interim report as part of his evidence.

Standing outside the Humewood police station yesterday, Zumani said the city had been dark for years and he blamed Magalela.

“There was a supply chain management process where LED lights were procured, received and paid for.

“They sat in various stores in the municipality and there was a second supply chain management process where two companies were successful in a bid to supply, deliver and install LED lights which would mean the city would no longer be dark.”

Zumani alleges the companies awarded the tender did only some work — instead of supplying the LED lights, they did the installation and maintenance, he says.

He alleges Magalela gave the companies the lights the municipality had purchased but had been unused and in storage.

Zumani says this started in 2019 and continued unabated.

The report found the municipality had incurred irregular and unauthorised expenditure amounting to R24m.

According to a memorandum seen by The Herald, the report was submitted to suspended city manager Noxolo Nqwazi on September 6 last year.

The report was signed by internal audit and risk assurance director Abongile Pika.

On the coincidence of opening the case against Magalela, weeks after being removed from the city’s payroll, Zumani said people were entitled to their opinions.

Magalela said he had read the report.

It raised pertinent issues and recommendations, he said.

“I commit to address. Most importantly what is raised in the report are internal controls for management.

“What I missed from the report is the element of wasteful expenditure.

“There is nothing in the report that confirms that I placed an order or authorised payment for the duplication of an order.

“One must be aware that the city has more than 50,000 street lights and therefore the rationale [which] says I gave a company an order that has been delivered or procured is not rational.

“Furthermore, as the executive director, I do not place orders — I approve payments once due diligence has been done.

“What is interesting is the timing of the allegations and the opening of a criminal case by Zumani when the report is dated October 2023.”

The salaries of two DOP councillors were stopped after an instruction from Magalela on March 28.

This comes after Zumani and Florence Hermans withdrew from a court application in March which included an interim order that had suspended any vacancies from being declared with the IEC.