My hands are clean, says Mogalakwena Mayor Andrina Matsemela
Accused by her political detractors of being the mastermind behind the assassination of two Mogalakwena councillors, Mayor, Andrina Matsemela says her accusers are barking up the wrong tree.
MOKOPANE – Mogalakwena Mayor, Andrina Matsemela was speaking during the official handover of a house to a family in Masehlaneng village outside Mahwelereng in Mokopane on Saturday.
“I have been accused of many things, including murder and embezzlement of municipal funds. The streets of my town have been closed for weeks. Workers have been forced to stay away from their workplace and learners were forced to stay away from school. This stops here and now. I am not a killer. Those who accuse me of murder are barking up the wrong tree.”
She was adamant regarding the claims made against her character.
“If I were a killer, why have I not been arrested yet?” she asked.
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Matsemela called on the police to speed up their investigation and bring the real killers to book.
She had made headlines since the recent murder of two councillors, Vaaltyn Kekana and Ralph Kanyane.
They were employed by the municipality at the time of their deaths, and said to have been doing an investigation into the irregular issuing of contracts.
An unknown gunman targeted them while they were sitting in a vehicle during lunch in town, on 23 July.
No arrests have been made yet.
The murders ruffled feathers in the ANC and in the municipality and rumours soon surfaced of Matsemela’s involvement.
She was also accused by the DA of being responsible for the dismal performance of the municipality in the last audit report.
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This after the Auditor-General, Kimi Makwetu stated that Mogalakwena incurred irregular expenditure of R1,2 billion over a period of the last three financial years.
“My hands are clean. I did not steal a cent from this municipality. It must be borne in mind that when I got here in 2016, municipal offices were locked up for months after 23 councillors were axed. There was no single manager, including the CFO and the MM at the institution. I had to start from scratch, employing managers one by one, even though my enemies were hard at work.”
She said she wanted to assure those baying for her blood that she remains resolute and unshaken: “I am here to stay, unless the ANC, which deployed me, think otherwise,” she explained.
Former Waterberg ANC Regional Secretary and current member of the ANC PEC, Tolly Mashamaite said those who accused Matsemela of wrongdoing must produce proof: “Otherwise, their allegations remain just that – allegations”.
