The vote of no confidence submitted by DA councillors in October against Sylvia Thebenare, Randfontein Executive Mayor has been thrown out of council.
According to Mzi Khumalo, Speaker for the Randfontein Local Municipality, “The matter was put up for vote as per standing rule – 27 Councillors voted against the motion of no confidence and 13 for it. After the vote, the matter was debated.”
The opposition highlighted three issues they had with the leadership of the mayor with regards to alleged misappropriation of funds and withholding information.
The allegations claim that the Mayor has deliberately withheld the KMPG report and findings. When the herald spoke to Alwyn van Tonder and Peter Dick, DA Councillors they stated that it is “illegal to withhold” this kind of documentation.
It was agreed by the Council to pledge R20 000 to the late councillor Isaac Lebopa’s family in assistance of his funeral to which the Mayor requested “officials to approve [an] expenditure over and above the R20 000.” This amount is said to be an amount exceeding R80 000. Van Tonder and Dick said that the pledge was “illegally altered” and that matters such as these must go through the council.
Furthermore, the DA Councillors claim that the Mayor has gone against the legislation that disallows the use of municipal funds for political party expenses.
With regards to the funeral arrangements, the speaker stated that the R20 000 was only as contribution to the family while the funeral incurred expenses as well. He states that it was ruled that the funeral would be a state funeral and therefore did not have to be voted on and nothing was altered as the matter could be voted by the mayor, which it was.
When the party expenses were questioned, the speaker referred the herald directly to the mayor’s office from which further comment is awaited.
