OR Tambo mayo r encourages whistle-blowers to come forward
OR Tambo district mayor Thokozile Sokanyile wants whistle-blowers to come forward and report acts of corruption in the district authority.
“If maybe there is corruption in the corner of the district that we don’t know about, we are saying to our people they must come forward and report it. We are going to take those issues to the SIU (Special Investigating Unit), and the Hawks and all these agencies that are investigating the district municipal- ity,” she said.
Sokanyile was addressing the media for the first time on Friday after it came to light that the district municipality was the subject of several investigations by state agencies into allegations of corruption, including the misuse of funds meant for Covid-19.
Municipal bosses confirmed last week that the institution was being investigated by the SIU. The investigations are also looking into “unexplained” advance payments totalling R168m which were reportedly paid out, some to Amatola Water for materials that were not delivered, as well as R91m paid to King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality’s electrical department for “abstraction” in the Mthatha corridor.
Sokanyile said she met the Hawks last week.
She said her leadership was intolerant of corruption as it robbed “our people a brighter and better livelihood”.
It was the municipality’s view that the presence of state agencies in the district would help root out elements of corruption and maladministration, she said.
“We want to state it clearly for our people to know that we are supporting all these investigations that are attempting to clear the institution of corruption.”
She said a multidisciplinary team sent to investigate the district municipality, after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proclamation, included a cyber specialist and a team of forensic investigators.
The district authority had also appointed an independent investigator to look into the allegations of corruption. Its report had been handed over to the SIU.
She assured people that the state agencies would receive all the necessary support and information.
“As the executive mayor of this district, I want to reaffirm my unwavering stance on an anti-corrupt municipality. All law enforcement agencies must leave no stone unturned in bringing those found to have misused state funds to book,” she said.