Simba Rushwaya
VEREENIGING – THREE senior officials have been fired and 15 others have been suspended at Emfuleni Local Authority, over the loss R150 million worth of awarded tenders, that were not implemented, as mayor Simon Mofokeng battles to address the financial irregularities bedeviling the town ahead of the August 3 municipal elections.
“We have suspended 15 officials, while at the same time dismissing three others after we discovered that money in the regional of R150 million was indeed wasteful expenditure on the part of the municipality,” says Mafokeng.
In an exclusive interview with the Gauteng Guardian recently, Mofokeng says the move was part of a campaign to bring “sanity” in the one million population metro, following allegations of corruption and wasteful expenditure against the previous administration led by Gretha Ndlongwane.
However Mafokeng disputes allegations by the opposition Democractic Alliance, which says that the municipality wasted about R400 million.
“That is not true. The figures are between R100 million and R150 million, of which action is being taken to address the issue. We are not yet there, but we are in the right direction. We have introduced the Expenditure Control and Creditors Management policies to curb those malpractices,” says Mofokeng.
The changes which forced Ndlongwane to be replaced by Mafokeng and the issue of financial maladministration have brought Emfuleni in the spotlight ahead of the elections, with DA mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala accusing the ANC’s incumbent Mofokeng of failing the people.
The latest suspensions came after Potso Mohajane, Head of Customer Care in the Revenue Management Agency, was also relieved of his duties a year ago for “serious misconduct.”
Former Municipal Manager Sam Shabalala was also removed from his position after the DA exposed massive poor financial and management systems.
Mofokeng who is the former executive mayor of Sedibeng was deployed by ANC in Emfuleni last November .
– Guardian