Mayor adamant on Dagada graft

THE CITY of Joburg would welcome court action by suspended former member of the mayoral committee for finance Rabelani Dagada.

Speaking to Metrowatch, mayor Herman Mashaba said the suspended MMC would be “committing (political) suicide” by taking the matter to court, as “there is irrefutable evidence against him”.

“I wish I did not have to hide behind council rules, but there is an investigation under way by the city’s ethics committee and I cannot reveal much until that hearing is completed,” he said.

The Star last month revealed that Dagada had allegedly been enriching his friend Dr Seth Mukwevho, who was awarded a non-commissioned contract worth R190 000. He was later appointed as the finance group head of treasury, but was subsequently dismissed.

Dagada was also alleged to have put pressure on senior officials to sign contracts, which they refused to do.

He was suspended by the DA’s federal executive as a councillor, pending an inquiry by the DA’s federal legal commission. Following the allegations, the city initiated a forensic investigation.

“The investigation found that Dagada had breached the city’s code of conduct by not declaring his interests and, subsequently, conflicts of interest with individuals closely associated with him.

“Further to this, the forensic investigation found Dagada to have been involved in price-fixing with a service provider to the city, and in the process, acted against his sworn duty to our residents,” the mayor said, adding that MMCs “served at the pleasure of the mayor”.

The city has initiated disciplinary action against the implicated officials.

Dagada accused Mashaba of using “absolute terms and plurals”, for example “individuals”, “officials” and “service providers”, which he claimed were associated with him.

“I am in possession of two draft investigation reports, both of which do not contain findings that declare that I acted favourably towards individuals, officials and service providers closely associated with me, as claimed by mayor Mashaba.

“I hereby challenge him to publicly name and shame the individuals he says benefited from my alleged corrupt activities. Upfront, I can assure the public that mayor Mashaba will not take up this challenge, because such individuals, officials and service providers closely associated with me, as he stated, do not exist.

“The only person mentioned in a draft forensic investigation report of which I am in possession is Dr Seth Mukwevho and his company Radongo, which is why mayor Mashaba’s plural description cannot apply. If councillor Mashaba acted in good faith, why did he find it necessary to exaggerate the facts?

“Moreover, the forensic investigation neither found nor concluded that I had influenced the appointment of Dr Mukwevho or his company Radongo, as the allegation claimed.”

The former MMC said the draft forensic report did not find any evidence against him regarding four of six accusations.

“On three occasions, the report declared that perceptions that I could have influenced could not be dismissed or disregarded. I find this to be highly unacceptable because forensic reports should be based on hard evidence,” he pointed out.

Suspended MMC says probes don’t implicate him