Six selectees are connected – Sanco
TRAFFIC POLICE RECRUITS: R3M SPENT ON PROJECT
Association will likely challenge matter through legal system.
Trouble is brewing in the Mpumalanga town of Emalahleni after at least six alleged relatives or partners of top ANC politicians and government officials scooped spots in the municipality’s multimillion-rand traffic police recruitment drive.
The SA National Civic Association (Sanco) in the Nkangala region asked for answers from Emalahleni local municipality executive mayor Linah Malatjie as to how the wives, sons and daughters of top politicians, including an MEC and two members of the mayoral committee at Emalahleni Municipality, were recruited as traffic police trainees.
The Citizen can reveal that a meeting has been scheduled with the executive this morning, with Sanco charging that they raised this matter in November, but Malatjie dismissed it as “allegations” without any basis.
Sanco member in the region Bongani Hlophe said the recruitment drive, budgeted for in the municipality’s 2018 Integrated Development Plan, kicked off around November 2018, with 20 suitable candidates selected for the 10-month traffic officers’ course in Nelspruit.
“We understand the recruitment was advertised but it was only in the selection phase that people were rejected in favour of the politically connected. Rumours were swirling immediately after the selection, but it was only when they graduated that we realised the rumours were true.”
More than R3 million was spent on the training programme, with the trainees getting a monthly stipend. The group graduated on Wednesday with much pomp and fanfare. Malatjie handed out certificates to the officers in a ceremony held at the executive mayor’s “parlour” in Emalahleni.
A day later, a list of the six “suspicious” recruits – linking them directly to six top politicians, surfaced on social media, detailing the nature of their relationships with the political bigwigs. The community was contemplating a shutdown of Emalahleni today to protest nepotism.
Hlophe posted the list on his Facebook page, with a picture captioned “See below your Traffic Officials that are Political Connected, Family Connected and Sexual Connected”. He closed the list off with the words: “This is not a popularity contest but if we are wrong, sue us…”
He said Malatjie previously pleaded ignorance of the matter but that it was incredible that Malatjie did not know that sons and daughters of people she sits with in the provincial executive committee were beneficiaries of the recruitment drive.
“It cannot be a coincidence. Not one or two but six people related to political leaders? When we decided to publish this corruption and nepotism, we were not delusional nor crazy, angry and bitter … we knew her [Malatjie] executive will not act nor do anything about this,” Hlophe said.
He said the next course of action would be determined by the explanation from the mayor, adding that they will most likely go the legal route.
A senior government official in the municipality confirmed the list of recruits and their relations to the ANC provincial political heavyweights. “The list is authentic and corresponds with that of the municipality. The municipality cannot deny nepotism because the people making these allegations know what they are talking about. They grew up together,” the official, who cannot be named, said.
The executive mayor could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Sasekani Manzini, ANC spokesperson in the province, said they were aware of the list making the rounds, but that they would rather allow the executive mayor to deal with the matter.
“I saw the [social media] post but we cannot respond to something that was posted on social media.
“Also, this a municipal matter so it would be proper for us to allow the municipality to deal with the matter,” she said.
– siphom@citizen.co.za.
The municipality cannot deny nepotism