Friday, 18 November 2011

City denies corruption

The City of uMhlathuze has categorically disputed allegations made in a national Sunday newspaper this week detailing claims of corruption and nepotism at the local municipality. This comes as KZN MEC for the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube has since appointed an investigation team to get to the bottom of the complaints. This follows a letter received from the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in August, which among others questioned the appointment of external services provider - Crossmoor Transport.

Mechanical breakdown of the existing municipal fleet saw the City taking a decision to procure the services of five additional trucks earlier this year for at least seven months to deal with refuse collection backlogs. The short-term solution cost the City in excess of R450 000 per month and also stirred an outcry from municipal waste employees. However, City Chief Communications Officer, Vukile Mathabela told the Zululand Observer that there were no records that SAMWU had detailed their grievances in writing to the Municipal Manager and instead decided to go public. ‘It is important to maintain a good relationship between organised labour and the municipality. ‘This behaviour is unhealthy. ‘As a municipality, if there is any person with proof of allegations, they must come forward. ‘We will not suppress it. ‘Allegations will be investigated,’ said Mathabela. Questioned over reported comments by City Mayor, Elphas Mbatha that the hiring of Crossmoor was reportedly an ‘ANC’ decision, Mathabela said it was not possible for such a statement to be made. ‘The Mayor would never make that statement. ‘As a political leader, he has a capable leadership with good managers who follow proper procedure as per Council resolution.

‘As a municipality, day in and day out, we receive calls that refuse is not being collected. ‘We are trying to address the matter.’Responding to allegations of improper procedure relating to the hiring of Mbatha’s son and daughter as Senior Artisan and Librarian Assistant at the municipality, Mathabela said proper measures had been followed. ‘The Mayor’s daughter had been in the employ of the municipality for four years before the Mayor came into office. ‘The union had not expressed a problem before. ‘His son does contract work for the municipality and those with proof that proper processes were not followed, must come forward with information.’
The union had further claimed that Mbatha had canned an investigation reportedly undertaken by the previous Mayor, Zakhele Mnqayi to investigate these matters among others. Last week, the City Executive Council confirmed that at no stage was the former Mayor authorised either by Council or by Exco to investigate senior managers.

According to the letter submitted to COGTA, Mbatha was allegedly protecting one of the Senior Manager’s from an investigation by Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela.
‘We welcome any investigation. No investigation has been stopped. We would love to see this put to bed immediately. ‘We want to focus on service delivery; our people need it,’ Mathabela said.