City of Ekurhuleni suspends CIO over financial misconduct allegations

The City of Ekurhuleni has suspended its chief information officer (CIO) Moloko Monyepao after allegations of mismanagement that led to significant financial losses.

City of Ekurhuleni’s chief information officer suspended

In a statement on Thursday, the City said it decided to suspend Monyepao at an Ekurhuleni council meeting on 27 March 2025.

“This decision arises from serious allegations of mismanagement related to financial losses incurred by the City, primarily due to issues around inaccurate billing systems, interim meter readings, account manipulations, insufficient administrative oversight and poor management of business systems,” the statement read.

The City added that Ekurhuleni’s city manager has been authorised to appoint an independent investigator to look into the allegations.

“The precautionary suspension of Mr Monyepao is deemed necessary to ensure that the integrity of the investigation is maintained and to uphold good governance principles, accountability and transparency within the City administration,” a statement read.

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Metro loses R2bn after billing system manipulated

Last week, EWN reported that more than 1 600 electricity accounts were tampered with to wipe out outstanding bills or reduce charges.

The manipulation of the billing system is believed to have cost the metro R2 billion.

Monyepao’s department is responsible for overseeing the billing system. This raised suspicions about how the payments were adjusted and whether the CIO was involved.

Eskom debt

This comes two months after Ekurhuleni’s MMC of finance Jongizizwe Dlabathi accused Eskom of incorrectly billing the metro. Eskom had threatened to disconnect the municipality due to its outstanding debt.

In February, The Citizen reported that the City allegedly owed Eskom R2.6 billion and a further R1.5 billion on its current account.   

Although it acknowledged it owed money to Eskom, it disputed the amount.

“We owe Eskom R1.6 billion, which is a current account, the balance of which is under dispute, which is the invoice amount compared to the electricity received,” Dlabathi said.

The MMC also blamed illegal connections, electricity theft and nonpayment by residents and businesses for its financial troubles.

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Additional reporting by Itumeleng Mafisa