ELM responds to Mayor’s alleged expenditure of R1.7million on chicken and hotels

Recent reports revealed that Mofokeng apparently spent over R1. 7 million on KFC, Nandos and a local hotel. He is said to have also racked up a shocking R1.1 million between 2011 and 2015 as Mayor of Sedibeng District Municipality, before he was deployed as Mayor to ELM – where he is said to have ‘gobbled’ up a further R629 000 between November 2015 to April 2017. This was revealed in a reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) question in the Legislature by Gauteng Cooperative Governance MEC, Paul Mashatile recently.

DA’s Kingsol Chabalala says that further to Mofokeng’s claims for luxury hotel stays and his appetite for fast food, strange fuel claims were submitted for his private car as well as claims for car hire – despite him having an official mayoral vehicle. The DA has requested Mashatile’s office to provide a more detailed list including amounts and invoices on Mofokeng’s credit card claims.

“Mayor Mofokeng’s monthly spending habits fly in the face of Finance MEC Barbara Creecy’s statements on practicing austerity and cutting back on luxury hotel stays and fast food.Emfuleni Municipality is in financial distress, yet it seems Mayor Mofokeng cannot be bothered to cut back on his expenditure. The mayor’s luxury lifestyle is in direct contrast to the challenges Emfuleni residents face every day.

“It is shameful that Mayor Mofokeng, a senior ANC leader, continues to dine in the lap of luxury, when so many in the municipality go hungry. It is high time that Mayor Mofokeng is fired by the ANC,” Chabalala said.

Emfuleni mayoral spokesperson Lebo Mofokeng said it was common cause that expenditure associated with the office of the executive mayor was expanded within the domain of his duties as a functionary within the executive office further adding that the expenditures associated with executive offices were not unique or limited to the Emfuleni Local Municipality, but normally related to entertainment, stakeholders’ engagements, business meetings, and investor engagements in the execution of his official functions.

“The office of the mayor is not only responsible for programmes of the mayor, but also for those of the mayoral committee and the municipal manager.

“It must also be noted that part of the figures in question are over a period of five years, and not a single year as it has been reported in the media,” she said.

“This expenditure that has sensationalised for political gain further serves to ensure that the executive mayor conducts business of the local authority within a controlled environment based on the necessary protocol observed. The mayor is observant of current challenges within the local authority and has therefore been driving cost cutting measures within the local authority since his deployment.

“Since the executive mayor’s deployment to ELM, the Institution has obtained unqualified audit opinions with less matters of emphasis from the Auditor General and it is also worth noting of the three clean audits that the Sedibeng District Municipality attained during his term as the executive mayor.”

Mofokeng adds that the continuous campaign of allegations against the executive mayor is baseless and unsubstantiated and commenced during the election campaign and persist to date.

“Notwithstanding the seriousness of the suggested allegations; the suggestions of excessive expenditure are malicious. These are nothing but desperate attempts which indicate confusion on the part of the Democratic Alliance. It has become clear that the DA will stop at nothing to tarnish the good name of the executive mayor of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Councillor Mahole Mofokeng. It is unfortunate that DA keeps on reiterating on same issues, notwithstanding the continued degenerating strategies by the opposition in particular, Mr Kingsol Chabalala.”