The DA in UMgungundlovu has written to the Municipal Speaker, Councillor Nomathemba Gabela to request costs for an independent investigation into financial misconduct to the tune of R15 million implicating the Municipal Manager, Dr.Ray Ngcobo.
This after a DA’s notice of motion submitted in early August to be presented during a council meeting, but was not presented.
The motion contained a request for a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report to be presented to council, together with the costs of the independent investigator who unsurprisingly discredited the SIU findings found the. The motion also requested council to ask the SIU to account to council on their findings.
The said SIU report covers financial misconduct of R15 million of public money, implicating the Municipal Manager who ordered that an independent investigation be done.
The Speaker said that she would rather provide the SIU report to portfolios committees, which was also not done. We then re-submitted this motion for September council, where. it was again not presented. This refusal is against the standing rules of council.
The actions of the Speaker of this council amounts to no less than a cover-up of misconduct on the part of the municipal manager.
We cannot be party to an illegal, criminal cover up for misconduct with public money. The Speaker has had ample opportunity to do the right thing, by providing the information which would allow the required oversight of council.
The SIU must account to council and the costs of the independent legal investigation reported . We have asked the speaker to provide the information requested via email to the Executive Committee (EXCO) as a matter of urgency.