Probes into Khanyile ‘forging his wife’s signature’ for R5m house welcomed by FF-Plus

The Freedom Front Plus has welcomed an ongoing probe into allegations that Sedibeng Municipal Manager Stanley Khanyile forged his wife’s signature when he purchased a R 5 million house, among others.

The investigation spearheaded by advocate William Mokhari will probe allegations of corruption, maladministration, financial mismanagement and nepotism levelled against Khanyile and the Sedibeng District Municipality.

The party says Khanyile’s appearance before the King Williams Town Magistrates Court recently on charges of fraud and money laundering come as no surprise as the Gauteng Legislature is also probing into alleged irregularities at the district municipality.

Khanyile faces mounting pressure from the DA and FF-Plus, who have called for his suspension pending the outcome of his court case on allegations which include money laundering worth more than R29 million, fraud and theft.

Also read: DA airs Sedibeng Municipal manager’s ‘dirty laundry’

While the DA’s Solly Msimanga labelled the cloud hanging over Khanyile’s head as an indication of the “recycling of crooks”, the FF-Plus says it welcomes Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Lebogang Maile’s action to rope in the legal mind of Mokhari, to probe if Khanyile forged his wife’s signature when purchasing a R5 million house, or if he earned more than his agreed-upon salary.

Among the list of things to be probed by Mokhari are:

• If municipal workers were irregularly appointed;
• If some form of nepotism took place with the allocation of bursaries; and
• If Sindiswa Mpeta was irregularly appointed as the director of the office of the municipal manager after she was dismissed by the Mnquma Municipality in the Eastern Cape due to fraud and corruption.

“Khanyile’s appointment as municipal manager serves as proof of the ANC’s cadre deployment because an individual guilty of mismanagement and/or corruption was awarded with yet another position in a government department or in this case, a municipality,” the FF-Plus said in a statement.

As a result, the party has asked the Legislature Committee on Cogta for an internal audit of the Emfuleni, Mogale City, Merafong and the Tshwane metro municipalities.

This comes as the DA calls for Khanyile’s suspension, accusing the Sedibeng District Municipality of hiring him well aware of pending investigations against him by his previous employers.

The party argues that Khanyile cannot continue as normal while facing all the charges, and must immediately step aside until the charges against him are cleared.

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