According to Speaker of Council, Patricia Khumalo, the municipal public accounts committee brought the item on Qbit to the council on January 2013.
She says the Council then resolved that the city manager be requested to forward the report to the SIU for urgent investigation, the offices of the Auditor General (AG) and Gauteng MEC for Local Government. Once the investigation is concluded, the city manager must submit a full report to Council.
Khumalo says that in the process of implementing the Council resolution, the municipality commissioned a forensic investigation, a process which was overseen by the audit committee, which is an external structure outside the municipality.
“That investigation has since been completed and the report was recently presented to the leadership of the Ekurhuleni metro, meaning the mayor, Speaker of Council, Chief-Whip of Council, Municipal Public Accounts Committee chairperson and the city manager,” she says.
She points out that now that the forensic investigation has been concluded, the audit committee has submitted the report to the offices of the Public Protector, SIU, AG and the MEC for local government as per the resolution of council.
“As a Speaker, I have already submitted a letter to the mayor to kick-start the process of engaging the affected individuals. Only after this process has been undertaken will the report be made available to Council for discussion.” – @TumeloBoksburg