Alfred Nzo council yet to act on tender fraud claims
ALFRED Nzo district municipality’s top brass say they are determined to root out corruption, but mayor Sixolile Mehlomakhulu yesterday told the media that the five employees who had been arrested for fraud, had not been suspended.
Last week, municipal bosses were caught by surprise when the Hawks pounced and arrested five current employees, among them the district authority’s supply chain manager Zuko Mani, 39, and three former employees on charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravening the Public Finance Management Act for fraudulently awarding tenders worth about R300-million in a single day.
Former CFO Luyolo Fokazi, 44, Thembisa Constance Manciya, 52, Mawethu Mtengwana, 46, Sifiso Ntanga, 36, Nkosinathi Gule, 50, Xolani Masiza, 49, Miranda Matutuba, 43, and the owner of two companies implicated in the case, businessman Unathi Mantanga, 33, appeared in court in EmaXesibeni (formerly Mount Ayliff) where they were each granted R8 000 bail. They will be back in court on April 5.
The tenders were for taps and pipes and dated back to 2015, according to Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwana Mulaudzi.
But yesterday, Mehlomakhulu, municipal manager Zamile Sikhundla and deputy mayor Sandile Sello told a media briefing at the municipal offices in EmaXesibeni that although they welcomed the investigation, the Hawks investigation was not enough to suspend the alleged corrupt officials.
“As things stand, we can’t suspend people on allegations unless proof of corruption can be provided,” the mayor said.
“Suspensions cannot solely be based on external investigations; council has to conduct an internal investigation.”
He said the municipality would convene a council meeting before the end of the month where one of the priorities would be to commission an internal investigation.
He confirmed Alfred Nzo was being investigated by two enforcement agencies, the Hawks and the Special Investigating Unit.
The Hawks’ investigation reportedly started in 2015 while the latter started its own investigation in March last year following a proclamation by President Jacob Zuma.
Sikhundla revealed the municipality had also appointed a committee to investigate about R500million in irregular expenditure incurred over several financial years.
Turning his attention to service delivery issues, Mehlomakhulu said seven concrete reservoirs, two elevated water tanks, 13.9 km of bulk pipeline, 22.6km of reticulation pipeline and 97 communal stand pipes were built to help bring water to more than 750 households in Mbizana last year at a value of more than R23-million.
The municipality was also spending around R27-million on bringing water to more than 3 500 households in Umzimvubu. —