Nkomazi Local Municipality CFO suspended
The CFO of the Nkomazi Local Municipality, Steven Thobela, has been put on suspension pending an investigation into his alleged financial misconduct.
The municipality suspended Thobela with effect from last week Friday, June 13, following a council resolution that was taken at the KaMdladla Community Hall.
'The suspension stems from several allegations of financial misconduct against the CFO. The suspension will allow proper investigation to be undertaken and also allow the official to clear his name if the allegations are not true,' said the municipality's spokesperson, Mbuso Malale.
Sipho Mathaba has been appointed as an acting CFO pending the finalisation of the investigations against Thobela.
Malale refused to elaborate on the merits of the investigations saying it was sub-judice.
Thobela's suspension comes just a month after the municipal manager (MM) Xolani Mabila resigned without giving reasons.
ALSO READ: Nkomazi court sentences rapist to 12 years in jail
According to Malale, the reasons for Mabila's resignation remained close to his own chest, but unconfirmed reports suggested it was related to alleged corruption within the municipality
The suspension of the CFO and the resignation of the MM come in the midst of serious corruption allegations by the DA against the municipality.
The DA councillor in the Nkomazi Local Municipality, Nhlonipho Dlamini, said the party urged the provincial Department of Co-operative Governance Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) to intervene in the alleged corruption within the municipality.
The DA in Nkomazi will write to Coghsta to investigate municipal officials implicated in the delay of upgrading the Naas Water Treatment Works project. The project which aimed to alleviate water challenges for residents around Naas and neighbouring towns was initiated in September 2020. However, the project has cost the municipality over R39m to date and has been delayed by more than two years,' said Dlamini in a statement.
'It is understood that the project was supposed to be completed in different phases. However, according to the Auditor-General's 2023/24 Management Report, the municipality has poorly managed this project.
These are some of the alarming findings that the AG flagged,' added Dlamini.
'These items include mechanical and electrical equipment to the value of R2m. The municipality stored some of the equipment to the value of R7m off-site while there is no written agreement with suppliers regarding warranty and insurance,' said Dlamini.
ALSO READ: City of Mbombela sounds alarm on tender scam
According to him, at some point, the contractor had halted the project due to cash flow problems and that the municipality had failed to impose penalties against the contractor.
'The municipality paid for equipment before it was procured by the contractor from the supplier (up to 15 months in advance). It was also revealed that at some point the municipality failed to efficiently dispatch water tankers to communities affected by the upgrading of the Naas water treatment works project,' Dlamini said.
'Coghsta must intervene and regulate the implementation of infrastructure projects. It cannot be business as usual while money meant for service delivery is misused,' added Dlamini
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