Councillor in the firing line over disappearance of stokvel money

An ANC councillor in Port Alfred is embroiled in the disappearance of almost R92,000 of a stokvel’s money.

Furious and hurt stokvel members, all elderly workers or unemployed, say they do not believe Ndlambe councillor Mbuyiseli Yali’s story that he crashed his car on the way back from the bank and that the money was stolen from the crash site.

The members claimed that after visiting Yali, their Masakhane Stokvel treasurer, in hospital, where he was lying wearing a neck brace, they went and inspected his Nissan Navara bakkie and saw that a bumper had been “carefully” removed.

They said they had been depending on the money to tide them over the festive season, and some said they had had a penniless Christmas.

Provincial police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender confirmed that a case had been opened at the Nelson Mandela Township police station on December 21 against ward 3 councillor Yali.

Nontombi Gqeke, 60, who took an R8,000 loan in November with the expectation that she would repay it with her stokvel dividend, said she was sliding into depression.

“My grandchildren’s school uniforms and stationery, lunch, Christmas festivities and my entire livelihood were all budgeted for on the basis of my share,” she said.

“I lie awake every night. The loan shark is also harassing me.”

Govender said Yali was tasked with depositing monthly contributions of members into the stokvel’s bank account in his capacity as treasurer.

Stokvel member Thembinkosi Nyendwana, 55, said while the members’ monthly contributions amounted to R91,476 over an 11-month period, with the accumulation of interest in the savings account, Yali was supposed to come back with more than R100,000 for the members.

Angry stokvel members said they believed the politician was lying and had faked the story about the accident.

They said Ndlambe council speaker Vivian Mapapu and PR ANC councillor Monica Mateti had called a meeting with them and announced that the council would fix everything and pay the money Yali had lost.

Nyendwana said he had also reported Yali to the ANC Sarah Baartman regional chair, Scara Njadayi.

Njadayi’s phone rang unanswered on Thursday.

Contacted for comment, Yali said he was standing firm with his defence that he lost the money in the accident but also said he was determined to pay it back.

“I can’t answer your ques-

‘I lie awake every night. The loan shark is also harassing me’

Nontombi Gqeke STOKVEL MEMBER

tions because, as you say, there is a case which will surely be going to court so this matter is sub judice.

“I am waiting for the police to contact me.

“That is all I can say,” Yali said.

Comment could not be obtained from Mapapu or Mateti.

Nyendwana said the group had instructed Yali to withdraw the money on December 15 so that it could be shared.

“We grew suspicious when he didn’t return from the bank by 1pm, so we decided to call him because people wanted to do Christmas shopping and it was the last weekend before Christmas.

“That is when he answered his phone and told us he was in hospital.”

Nyendwana said Yali had told them he would sell his bakkie to repay the members and that in the meantime other ANC councillors had organised R20,000 to pay the stokvel members up-front.

“We rejected his promise and measly offer because we are a large group.”