Questions over audit member

“During the council meeting, the FF Plus strongly opposed the appointment of Mudau as a member of the internal financial audit committee of the Maruleng Local Municipality,” said Pieter Gerber of the FF Plus in Maruleng. Mudau, who previously served as the chief financial officer of the Polokwane Local Municipality (PLM), was given a golden handshake in 2016 after disciplinary steps were instituted against her, Gerber said.

He said that according to the PLM she failed to ensure that the correct procurement processes were followed, or act within the scope and mandate of the tender evaluation committee, obtain permission from the council to attend audit committee meetings of the Mopani District Municipality and Makhado Municipality and unlawfully appointed service providers. “According to Polokwane, her conduct amounted to gross dishonesty and misconduct. Her appointment as a member of Maruleng’s audit committee is nothing but blatant cadre deployment, and a reward for her destructive acts in Polokwane,” Gerber said.

He said that the ANC-controlled Maruleng Local Municipality has demonstrated, by supporting her appointment, that it has no regard for the municipality’s residents, but puts its own cadres and friends’ interests first. According to a report in 2016 in the Review newspaper in Polokwane, Mudau and PLM’s paths parted after a closed meeting “in an amicable agreement”. It was preceded by the suspension of Mudau and former senior managers, California Phanyane and Molatelo Rapetsoa, in August 2015. Mudau was subjected to a disciplinary hearing that was in an advanced stage when the agreement was concluded, the Review reported.

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The DA in Maruleng told the Herald that they intend to contest Mudau’s appointment. “We are not satisfied with the appointment of the new member of the audit committee given her background. We are going to contest and hope they can change the decision they made,” said Portia Maropane, DA councillor in Maruleng. “The DA in Maruleng has written to the mayor, Tsheko Musolwa, to reject the proposed Audit Committee appointments and request that he revise these appointments. During a special council sitting that took place on the 10th of November, a report requesting the council to adopt and authorize the appointment of five new committee members for a period of three years was tabled,” she added.

She said that the term of the previous audit committee came to an end at the end of September and the recruitment process was concluded on October 20.  “According to the report, 14 applications were received, ten were shortlisted, and the panel recommended five names. The DA objected to this item because all but one of the five candidates are based in Gauteng and we believe there are appropriately qualified people who are fit for purpose within the municipality or alternatively the province. The reimbursement for travel from all proposed Audit Committee members will also be a further cost to the municipality.

The Herald reached out to the municipality for comment. They said Mudau was not found guilty and “whoever is not satisfied can take it to court”.