The DA in uMgungundlovu District this past Thursday received a full Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report on financial misconduct at the municipality from the presidency, resulting from a request by the DA.
We have perused the contents of the report and are following up on three criminal cases against the current municipal manager for financial misconduct.
These cases were opened at the South African Police Services (SAPS) station in Pietermaritzburg.
In June this year, the council was presented with an independent investigation, in-committee, on the SIU findings and referrals for action, against the municipal manager, and other officials. It was then resolved out of committee to accept the investigator’s findings, by a vote of 25 to 9.
These findings completely rubbished all the SIU’s findings. The independent investigator found no wrongdoing on the part of the current municipal manager, the current communications manager and the former CFO, amongst others. The independent investigator was appointed by the municipal manager, absurd to say the least.
The DA has submitted a written question to council, to determine what costs were incurred in commissioning this “independent” report.
If the SIU’s allegations were frivolous, as suggested by this independent investigation, they should be made to account for fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The SIU stands by their investigative methods and the findings of this report.
Transparency has been frustrated at every turn with this SIU investigation which pertains to the period 1 January 2017 to 8 November 2019 and includes financial misconduct relating to the Mandela Marathon, SALGA games, a Presidential visit and IDP Imbizo.
The DA will vigorously follow up on the criminal cases, and the referrals made by the SIU for internal disciplinary action, as should have been done by the previous term’s leadership.