Africa-Press – South-Africa. The municipal manager of trouble-torn Endumeni municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, who is implicated in alleged fraud and corruption has resigned with immediate effect.
Sithembiso Ntombela tendered his resignation letter on Friday. Ntombela is implicated in allegations of fraud and corruption relating to a multimillion-rand security tender which was controversially awarded to FBL security company from Newcastle.
Endumeni awarded the tender to FBL without following proper bidding processes. The council hand-picked FBL without proper processes on the basis that the appointment was urgent.
KwaZulu-Natal Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi has issued a section 106 report with remedial actions after a forensic investigation into allegations of fraud and corruption in relation to the appointment of FBL.
Buthelezi in March gave Endumeni 21 days to act against those implicated, which period has since lapsed with no action having been taken. Instead, Endumeni speaker Andile Nsibande asked for an extension for the council to look at the report, which was granted.
Nsibande confirmed that Ntombela has resigned with immediate effect from the council.
He said Ntombela didn’t cite any reasons for his resignation.
Asked by TimesLIVE what was going to happen as Ntombela had been implicated in alleged corruption, Nsibande said it was difficult to comment as Buthelezi’s report had not yet been tabled.
Contacted for comment, Ntombela confirmed he had resigned, saying he was moving on to greener pastures.
Asked if he is not worried since he had resigned under a cloud of controversy, Ntombela said the report implicating him was “neither here nor there since it has not yet been discussed”.
Endumeni is one of the worst-performing municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal and is sitting on a disclaimer audit report from the auditor-general, Tsakani Maluleke.
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