Bhisho takes over two municipalities

Qoboshiyane sends officials after corruption claims

THE top administration of two troubled Eastern Cape municipalities have been taken over by officials seconded by the provincial department of local government.

The move by local government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane aims to restore stability amid claims of corruption and financial mismanagement in the two municipalities.

Bhisho last week seconded senior managers from the department’s operation clean audit unit, Themba Mnguni and Viwe Mapukata, to act as municipal managers in the municipalities of Makana (based in Grahamstown) and Great Kei (based in Komga).

The councils of both municipalities suspended their administration heads – Dr Pravine Naidoo and Chris Mbekela – last month, amid allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.

Qoboshiyane said the two seconded officials had already been introduced to their respective councils and had started to discharge their duties.

“These two managers are experienced professionals with credible local government attributes under their belts.

“With them at the helm, the department will now intensify its work with the two municipalities to give them adequate support in order for them to meet their constitutional mandates,” said Qoboshiyane.

Mbekela was suspended by the Great Kei council on March 10, a few weeks after Qoboshiyane tabled a forensic investigations report which highlighted a number of irregularities.

The probe by Umnotho Business Consulting alleged that more than R1.7-million had been spent irregularly – most of it on travel costs, appointment of service providers, double salaries and appointment of an acting corporate services manager without council approval.

It was the second time Mbekela had been suspended by his council. In August last year he was suspended for alleged corruption linked to fruitless and wasteful expenditure in last year’s audit opinion. He was later reinstated on orders from the ANC’s sub-region.

Mbekela could not be reached for comment, but previously told the Dispatch there were ulterior motives behind his suspension.

He claimed his suspension was linked to his refusal to approve payment of R1.2-million to a company that had not done the billed work for the municipality.

“This suspension is flawed. This is an agenda to discredit my name. This is just another way to get rid of [me],” he said.

He added that the matter was linked to the distribution of tenders in the municipality, saying “they just don’t want stability within this municipality”.

Great Kei mayor Ngenisile Tekile could not be reached for comment on Friday.

In Makana, Naidoo was dismissed on March 12 after a disciplinary process that began on February 18.

He was found guilty of misconduct and contravening the Code of Conduct for municipal staff members.

This came after he was placed on a three-month precautionary suspension last year amid allegations he obtained a R3-million payout without council’s blessing.

It was alleged that Naidoo drew up a contract with himself and created a false paper trail to ensure a financial settlement favourable to himself.

“The employee’s conduct entailed rather significant dishonesty. He demonstrated that he cannot be trusted to carry out his responsibilities as accounting officer,” stated the documents seen by the Dispatch.

Makana mayor Zamuxolo Peter also could not be reached.

Qoboshiyane’s spokesman Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha said on Friday that Mnguni and Mapukata had been seconded last week for a period of three months. —