Municipal manager under investigation by Hawks
Mutshinyali received a subpoena to appear in the Makhado Magistrate Court and was warned that failure to comply with the subpoena may result in a warrant for his arrest.
LIMPOPO – Makhado Municipal Manager, Sakkie Mutshinyali, has been placed on special leave pending an investigation into his expenditure.
According to sources, Mutshinyali was given a week to resign, failing upon which the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) took the matter to the Hawks to investigate.
In October 2015, Samwu demanded the resignation of the same municipal manager pending investigations into allegations of corruption and maladministration.
In documents tendered to CV by the former Acting Provincial Secretary of Samwu, Cromwell Nhemo, Mutshinyali spent more than R300 000 on his personal security. Nhemo further claims Mutshinyali submitted double claims for his relocation from Letaba Municipality while he was employed on a fixed-term contract.
“He disbanded the bid committee and appointed his own ‘yes men’ to advance his activities. He removed employees who do not support him,” Nhemo added. “A mere SMS to update customers about their accounts cost the municipality R2,5 million compared to other avenues which would have cost much less,” he said.
CV discovered that in June, Mutshinyali received a subpoena in terms of Section 205 of Act 51 of 1977 to appear in the Makhado Magistrate Court on or before 24 June.
The Hawks requested Mutshinyali supply the municipality procurement policy for goods and services as well as all invoices paid to the appointed company for goods and services rendered.
According to the document, which CV has in its possession, supporting documents were needed for procedures used to appoint service providers who rendered the following services in the municipality and the bid advertisement for the goods and services: the appointment of the GNS Security Services Company, the appointment of a private company to send SMS’s to clients for municipal accounts, the appointment of an electrical contractor to install electrical infrastructure at the municipality and the appointment of a medical practitioner to deal with injury on duty of members by the municipality.
He was warned that failure to comply with the subpoena may result in a warrant for his arrest.
Spokesperson for the Makhado Municipality, Louis Bobodi confirmed that Mutshinyali was placed on special leave, “The council will reconvene after receiving responses from Musinyali”.
