Chikane wants Samwu to retract graft allegations against his wife

City Power chairperson Reverend Frank Chikane has rubbished allegations of corruption levelled against him and his wife by officials who are allegedly members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu).

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Chikane says allegations that City Power director Sicelo Xulu approved and awarded a tender for scientific and industrial research to his wife are unfounded and slanderous.

Xulu on Wednesday said the reverend’s wife had no tender with the municipal entity.

The power utility said in a statement Chikane’s wife was employed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research as a stakeholder relations manager, and she interacted with various municipalities and state-owned enterprises.

Chikane has given the union until February 20 to apologise and retract the claims.

“I sent them letters of demand on Monday and gave them seven days to retract and stop spreading the lies, and apologise,” he said.

He was apparently told by Samwu president Pule Molalenyane that he had not given the green light anyone to make the allegations against Chikane or City Power.

The officials were asked by Samwu’s spokesperson Papikie Mohale to provide proof of their claims, but they failed to. Mohale said the officials behind the allegations were no longer with the union.

LISTEN: Anthony Still says Mashaba firing him was a revenge act

Mashaba has launched a forensic probe into City Power’s tenders valued at billions of rands.

Still said he and Mashaba had a difference of opinion on the suspension of City Power managing director Sicelo Xulu.

He said there were processes to follow in firing Xulu, and he believed the mayor wanted to bypass the processes.

“I was not against the investigation of City Power staff, but I was against suspending the managing director,” he said.

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