DA urges MEC Maile to place Sedibeng municipality under administration

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called upon on the Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), Lebogang Maile, to place the Sedibeng district municipality under administration.

This follows a investigative report into allegations of maladministration, fraud, corruption and malpractice within the municipality, according to DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala .

In a statement, Chabalala said the MEC should place the municipality under administration with immediate effect in terms of Section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution, while also ensuring that those implicated were held to account.

Chabalala said municipality had no financial systems of control in place, as indicated in the report released by Advocate William Mokhari.

“Internal audits were weakened and incapacitated by the late municipal manager, Stanley Khanyile,” Chabalala said.

Chabalala said the report revealed that the municipality didn’t have a supply chain management policy.

“There are serious cases of irregular expenditure, supply chain mismanagement and procurement deviations as well as corruption.

“The municipality was without an audit committee for nine months, which is crucial to ensure financial checks and balances.”

Chabalala said Khanyile’s appointment as municipal manager was also found to be unlawful and invalid.

He further said that Khanyile had interfered in the functioning of the municipality’s council and its Section 79 committees.

“He also interfered in the functioning of the office of the speaker, executive mayor and audit committee and municipal public audit committee.”

Chabalala added that the DA welcomed the recommendations of the report, which stated that Sedibeng should be placed under administration.

“The MEC should instruct the state attorney to take steps to recover the monies which were irregularly spent, and disciplinary steps need to be taken against those officials implicated.

“However, with regards to the liability of the municipal manager and the council for the irregular expenditure, steps should be taken to ensure that ANC councillors are held accountable in terms of Section 32(2) of the MFMA [Municipal Finance Management Act].

“During a council meeting where the municipal public accounts committee investigation reports were presented, both the ANC and EFF voted in favour of the condonation of irregular and unauthorised expenditure incurred where services were rendered.

“This clearly indicates that that the ANC should pay back the money which was irregularly spent.”

He said the DA would continue to monitor the matter and ensure that all the senior officials and executives implicated were held to account.

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