Parties welcome action to be taken against SDM councillors

SEDIBENG.- The FF Plus (FF+) has said that it welcomes the decision taken by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Lebogang Maile against Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM) councillors. Maile has apparently decided to take action against councillors of the SDM (which has the local municipalities of Emfuleni, Lesedi and Midvaal under it) who were in favour of the exorbitant salary adjustment of the SDM’s former Municipal Manager, the late Stanley Khanyile. He is alleged to have received a salary of R1,8 million per annum even though the position was advertised with a salary package of of R1,2 million. FF Plus (FF+) said that Khanyile received the inflated salary from 2018 until he passed away in October this year. “It is alarming that the exorbitant salary was never brought to the attention of the relevant oversight committees of the Gauteng Legislature so that the matter could be addressed. The FF Plus demands that the councillors of Sedibeng who are implicated in irregularities and unauthorised expenditure during Khanyile’s term as Municipal Manager (MM) by the COGTA report are held accountable and must pay back the money to the Municipality.” FF+ further said that councillors are elected by the community to serve the people in municipal councils and must therefore be held accountable at all times. “It is unfair to expect taxpayers to pay for officials and councillors’ misappropriation and corruption and so the FF Plus will not hesitate to expose such irregularities.” Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Maile to place Sedibeng District Municipality under administration with immediate effect following what it said was a damning investigative report into allegations of maladministration, fraud, corruption, and serious malpractice that has occurred, and is still occurring in the SDM which was released by Advocate William Mokhare. “According to the report, no financial systems of control have been put in place by the municipality, internal audits were weakened and incapacitated by the late Municipal Manager, Stanley Khanyile.” The DA said that Sedibeng does not have a supply chain management policy which provides for a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective system of the bidding by, and appointment of, service providers. “There are serious cases of irregular expenditure, supply chain mismanagement and procurement deviations as well as corruption. The municipality was without an Audit Committee for nine months which is crucial to ensure financial checks and balances. The appointment of the late Khanyile to the MM position was unlawful and invalid. The DA welcomes the recommendations of the report which states that Sedibeng should be placed under administration. The MEC should instruct the State Attorney to take steps to recover the monies which were irregularly spent, and disciplinary steps need to be taken against those officials implicated.” A statement issued by the SDM said that it has noted the investigation conducted by Advocate Mkhari on itself and its late MM, Stanley Khanyile and that, “A Mayoral Committee will be held where it is expected to consider Adv William Mkhari’s investigation’s outcome. Thereafter, the Mayoral Committee will make a formal and comprehensive response to the findings and recommendations. Furthermore, it must be noted that the full Adv Mokhari’s investigation report will be tabled before the Council.”