Sedibeng mayoral chain worth R470k vanishes, DA calls for probe

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is calling for an investigation into the missing mayoral chain of Sedibeng’s Executive mayor Lerato Maloka.  

DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala has written a letter to the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Mzi Khumalo.

Municipality took its time to report missing mayoral chain  

According to an affidavit seen by the DA, the chain, valued at R465 000, mysteriously disappeared after the State of the District Address on 23 June 2023.

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“It raises suspicions as to why the matter was not immediately reported to the police given the apparent gravity of the situation. It also raises questions about the Sedibeng Council’s ability to safeguard its assets,” Chabalala said.

Chabalala said it was strange that the mayor was allegedly one of the last people to see the mayoral chain but she had no clue as where the chain could have gone.

“She is also embroiled in another shocking case of a foreign substance found in the engine of the vehicle assigned to her by Sedibeng District Municipality,” Chabalala alleged.

Chabalala said the DA demands that the Gauteng government conduct a thorough investigation into the two cases and ensure that those implicated in criminal or negligent behaviour are held responsible for their actions.

“We will also table questions to MEC Khumalo in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to ascertain why an internal investigation was not conducted and why the municipality’s administration delayed opening a case with the police to investigate the incident of a missing mayoral chain,” Chabalala said.

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Municipalities should be transparent

Chabalala said mishandling and mismanagement of state resources should not be tolerated.

“Municipalities should ensure that all public assets are safeguarded and managed with care. In the event of theft or asset damage, municipalities should be transparent and inform the public. This will increase public trust and ensure that those responsible are held to account,” he said.

The Citizen had sent a query to the municipality about the missing chain. This article will be updated as soon as comment is received.

Last month, The Citizen reported that three gold mayoral chains worth millions of rand had gone missing from the mayor’s office in the city hall in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape.