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The Citizen
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
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 At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Isis-attack on SA-owned hunting camp: ‘Catastrophic impact on community'
A recent attack by Isis fighters on a luxury hunting camp in northern Mozambique has had a 'catastrophic' impact on the local community. This is according to Jacques Hartzenberg, the owner of South African company Chapungu Safaris Africa, which owns the Kambako hunting camp. The camp was destroyed and, tragically, two of the four workers who were captured were beheaded. The attackers stole fuel, food, clothing and vehicles. What wasn't stolen was destroyed in a fire that demolished the camp. Kambako is situated in the Niassa Special Reserve, which is divided into six hunting blocks, each overseen by private companies. Kambako is regarded as one of the biggest hunting operators in Mozambique. Hartzenberg told Caxton Network News that the attack happened on April 19, at about 17:00. He was not at the camp at the time. They initially thought the attackers were opportunistic looters. 'Afterwards, we were made aware that insurgents had entered the Kambako camp. Staff ran away in different directions, so, as management, we did not know if any or how many of them were being held captive.' He says the insurgents only left the camp in the early hours of April 24. 'At that stage, we were still unaware of who was being held captive. We found out about the two bodies in camp when the media published photos that the military had taken on April 27.' Hartzenberg says it was the first time Kambako had been targeted in such an attack. Communities impacted When asked about the impact on Kambako and the Niassa Reserve, he answered that it was catastrophic. 'We employ 120 people. The communities financially benefit directly from the safaris that we conduct. Approximately 80% of all the meat from the animals harvested is delivered to the communities.' According to a statement released by Chapungu, last season alone, the direct economic benefits to surrounding communities totalled around MZN 25.4m (about R7m). 'This includes wages, brickmaking, road construction, bamboo supply and other community-focused services. In terms of food support, 15 900kg of fresh meat was delivered to local villages. An additional 15 000lbs (about 6 800kg) of dried meat was distributed to staff and their families.' According to Hartzenberg, the staff who were present during the attack are traumatised and afraid to return to work, although they are still supportive of the company. He added that all the hunting operators in the Niassa Reserve do a lot for their employees and communities. 'We are concerned that without government intervention and protection, the safari season will not happen, causing hardship in the communities due to a lack of income.' On April 30, an image was released on social media by Amaq News Agency, affiliated with Isis, claiming the attacks were carried out by fighters of the Islamic State. Ongoing attacks Beheadings and other atrocities by extremists are not new in the northern Cabo Delgado province. In September 2024, the Club of Mozambique reported that a man was beheaded in the Palma district. In the same month, Agência de Informação de Moçambique reported that jihadist groups claiming affiliation to the Isis terrorist network said it had murdered 70 people in 27 attacks against what it described as 'Christian towns' in the Chiùre district. On April 11, Club of Mozambique reported that the government of the country was aware that attacks by extremist groups were continuing in the province, but 'assured that the situation is under control and safe'. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
