Please find attached an isiZulu soundbite by Cllr Sbusiso Nkosi,
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Zululand District calls on the Province’s Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, to speed up the investigations into maladministration, fraud and corruption in Zululand involving the Mayor.
In September 2019 MEC Hlomuka instructed an investigation in this municipality. It is disappointing that four months later there’s still no progress and those that were implicated are still employed by the municipality. This gives them a chance to interfere and tamper with evidence.
Our call comes after intimidation charges were laid against the Mayor, Cllr Thulasizwe Buthelezi by the municipality’s technical director, Sibusiso Ngcobo. According to Ngcobo, two males, allegedly sent by the Mayor, threatened to kill him if he didn’t resign from his position.
The Mayor has since instituted a forensic investigation into alleged fraud and corruption by two municipal workers, which includes Ngcobo, who opened a case against him.
While we welcome the investigation by the Mayor into Ngcobo which looks to get rid of corruption in the municipality, we are concerned about the timing that this investigation was instituted. The Mayor cannot use his position to fight his personal battles.For the sake of transparency, we are calling on the Mayor to take voluntary leave in order to allow the investigation against him to continue without any interference .
The residents of this municipality suffer as a result of the poor management and corruption by municipal officials.
Allegations of corruption in the municipality include:
- The municipality’s termination of a three-year contract with Msuthu, a water tanker contractor and the awarding of the contract to Aqua transport without following procurement processes;
- Aqua Transport allegedly paid a bribe of R1.5 million which was received by the Acting Municipal Manager Mpumelelo Manqele on behalf of the Mayor for water tankers;
- The municipality started paying R56 million, from the previous R30 million, for water tankers;
- The municipality paid R32 million for a security tender budgeted for R15 million on 23 July 2018; and
- Water and Sanitation Services South Africa (WSSA) was allegedly made to pay a bribe of R2.3 million in order to renew their contract.
In our unwavering fight against corruption, the DA is requesting that all those that are involved in these investigations are relieved from their duties and placed on leave.
Our only concern is that residents of Zululand receive the services that they deserve and that poor management and corruption is eradicated.