Africa-Press – South-Africa. A report into the abuse of public funds by the mayor and deputy mayor of AbaQulusi Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal has found that the pair are unfit to hold public office, and has recommended that serious action be taken against them.
The report, signed off by the special ethics committee chairperson Swelakhe Shelembe in June, speaks to purposeful financial misconduct by Mayor Mncedisi Maphisa and his deputy, Mandla Mazibuko.
The committee recommended that a full council conduct a forensic investigation to establish the role of municipal employees in assisting the unethical financial conduct.
“The deliberateness and seriousness of Mayor Maphisa and Deputy Mayor Mazibuko’s misconduct leads to the conclusion by the committee of their unfitness to continue holding their offices,” the report stated.
In its investigation, the committee discovered that AbaQulusi spent substantial amounts on fuel for their rented cars, including a Toyota Prado for Maphisa and a Toyota Fortuner for Mazibuko.
‘Corrective measures’
The rental and fuel cost for both SUVs between 3 December 2021 and 31 March 2022 was R469 041, which meant they spent about R100 000 a month. There was no evidence of any proper supply chain processes in procuring the vehicles.
The ethics committee report called for an investigation with a specific focus on trip records for both top officials, saying the usage of the cars was without council approval.
There is also evidence of expenditure for VIP security for Mazibuko that was not approved by the council.
The ethics committee further called on the council to take steps to recover R103 500 for the security that was not required.
The report recommended that the council consider “taking corrective measures against the mayor, deputy mayor and implicated officials for exposing the municipality to unauthorised expenditure”, as well as irregular and wasteful expenditure.
Maphisa’s appointment of an extra VIP protection guard and back-up rented vehicle was found to be in contravention of basic municipal law.
The report found no evidence of a threat analysis conducted by the police, a common requirement for security. His indulgences alone led to fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R513 063 between June 2021 and April 2022, the report noted.
The mayor also had full knowledge of his contraventions, the report said, adding that the municipality chief financial officer had also informed him of his transgressions.
Some officials testified to the special ethics committee that the late municipal manager, Bonga Ntanzi, had instructed more security for Maphisa through a service provider, the report countered: “His continued usage of additional VIP security with full knowledge of non-compliance with prescribed legal requirements… [amounted] to a breach of code of conduct for councillors”.
Backup vehicle, additional security
The report found no evidence of a supply chain process to hire five VIP protection guards assigned to Maphisa and Khumalo between June 2021 and 30 April 2022 from Qomkufa Security.
Maphisa also hired a back-up vehicle during that period, also from the security company.
Invoices submitted by Qomkufa Security showed the mayor’s back-up car was driven by an additional security guard between June 2021 to November 2021, at a monthly rate of R53 885.55.
Thereafter, the charge for the car reduced to R37 950 a month, tallying up a whopping total of R513 063.30 between June 2021 and April 2022 for the car and the security guard driving it.
The cost to merely hire the back-up vehicle was R24 000 per month, meaning that the cost of the car hire alone for the 11 months was R264 000.
The total for the additional security guard over the same period was R182 142. The VAT for both expenses sat at R66 921.30, taking the mayor’s back-up car and security expenses over half a million rand for less than a year.
The charge for the backup car was at a rate of R8 per kilometre, meaning the mayor’s security would have had to accumulate 3 000km mileage per month.
Failed to appear before ethics committee
Several officials also failed to appear before the committee. This included the acting municipal manager JS Landman, the director of community services Thabo Xaba, and manager in the office of the municipal manager Mpilo Sibiya.
After initially appearing before the committee, both Landman and Xaba requested time to gather relevant documents before appearing before the committee. However, they never showed up for their 5 May appearance.
Sibiya also failed to appear on 5 May.
The report stated:
Asked for comment, AbaQulusi Municipality spokesperson Lolo Madonsela said the ethics committee report was tabled before council in a special sitting on 19 October.
“In that sitting it was resolved that all political parties be given enough time to go through the report and make their conclusions and or recommendations.
“The council resolution further indicated that a special sitting should take place within 21 days, where all political party whips will then give their statements on the matter. A council resolution will then be taken based on this.
“Therefore, the municipality cannot at this point give a response until a council resolution has been taken on the matter,” Madonsela added.
Maphisa did not respond to News24’s request for comment.
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