A FORENSIC investigation has found the son of an ANC councillor liable for thousands of rands damage caused to a hired luxury car.
A confidential report seen by the Daily Dispatch recommends that Buffalo City Metro (BCM) councillor Sindiswa Gomba’s son Siyabonga be held liable for more than R150000 damage to a Mercedes-Benz C180 sedan.
The metro had hired the vehicle for Gomba at the time.
However, the vehicle was not returned to the rental company by the stipulated date and was later damaged by Siyabonga using a brick while it was parked outside Gomba’s Summerpride home.
Pictures taken hours after the incident and leaked to the Dispatch showed extensive damage caused to the windows and bodywork of the vehicle.
In one picture a red brick could be seen lying on the front seat of the vehicle.
The Dispatch reported late last year that a hysterical Gomba had called Simon-Ndzele, who was on an official trip abroad, saying her 19-year-old son had thrown bricks at the vehicle.
She later reported the matter to the Cambridge police station where a case of malicious damage to property was opened against Siyabonga.
There had also been a suspicion that Gomba drove without a valid driver’s licence as she had renewed her licence – and was issued with a temporary one – on August 24, one day before the vehicle was damaged and four days after it was hired.
The total cost of repairs to the vehicle amounted to R151015 and lease costs amounted to R7851.
Council mandated the MPAC to investigate the matter, with the metro soliciting the services of attorney Jonathan Clark to assist.
MPAC chairwoman and ANC councillor Nomfanelo Madonono yesterday refused to discuss the probe and referred queries to city authorities.
BCM’s acting director of executive support Ondela Mahlangu refused to comment.
“The municipality won’t comment on the matter as it is of a confidential nature,” said Mahlangu.
However, the Dispatch has learnt that the probe found Siyabonga be held liable for the damages and that action should be taken against him to recover the R151 000.
“While councillor Gomba could not, in my view, be held liable for any amount, I conclude that her conduct did not meet the standards provided for in the code of conduct prescribed for councillors in using the vehicle well beyond that for which it was authorised and not returning it after it had served the purpose for which it was hired and for refusing to afford any co-operation in this investigation,” states Clark’s report.
Regarding suggestions that Gomba was without a valid driver’s licence at the time, the probe found she had renewed her licence on August 24, but revealed it was only due to expire on November 6 2012.
“She was indeed the holder of a valid licence at all material times,” stated the report.
It further said the Mercedes was hired at a cost of R1250 a day and that there were two days where it should not have been on hire to Gomba, placing the blame on Simon-Ndzele.
“Thus the speaker should be held liable for R2500 representing fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred for the hire of the vehicle for two of the days for which the hire should not have been approved,” said the report.
The report further revealed the vehicle had 493km on the clock when it was given to Gomba and she returned it with 1168km.
“Even if some latitude is allowed, it would in my view, be difficult to refute that there has been considerable usage of the vehicle for purposes other than the attendance of the two examinations,” claimed the report.
Clark yesterday refused to talk about the matter while Simon-Ndzele and the Gombas could not be reached for comment.
“There is nothing I can confirm to the newspaper,” said Clark.
“My obligation is to report to the municipality and no one else.” — asandan@dispatch.co.za
PAY UP, GOMBA JR!
A FORENSIC investigation has found the son of an ANC councillor liable for thousands of rands damage caused to a hired luxury car.
A confidential report seen by the Daily Dispatch recommends that Buffalo City Metro (BCM) councillor Sindiswa Gomba’s son Siyabonga be held liable for more than R150000 damage to a Mercedes-Benz C180 sedan.
The metro had hired the vehicle for Gomba at the time.
However, the vehicle was not returned to the rental company by the stipulated date and was later damaged by Siyabonga using a brick while it was parked outside Gomba’s Summerpride home.
Pictures taken hours after the incident and leaked to the Dispatch showed extensive damage caused to the windows and bodywork of the vehicle.
In one picture a red brick could be seen lying on the front seat of the vehicle.
The Dispatch reported late last year that a hysterical Gomba had called Simon-Ndzele, who was on an official trip abroad, saying her 19-year-old son had thrown bricks at the vehicle.
She later reported the matter to the Cambridge police station where a case of malicious damage to property was opened against Siyabonga.
There had also been a suspicion that Gomba drove without a valid driver’s licence as she had renewed her licence – and was issued with a temporary one – on August 24, one day before the vehicle was damaged and four days after it was hired.
The total cost of repairs to the vehicle amounted to R151015 and lease costs amounted to R7851.
Council mandated the MPAC to investigate the matter, with the metro soliciting the services of attorney Jonathan Clark to assist.
MPAC chairwoman and ANC councillor Nomfanelo Madonono yesterday refused to discuss the probe and referred queries to city authorities.
BCM’s acting director of executive support Ondela Mahlangu refused to comment.
“The municipality won’t comment on the matter as it is of a confidential nature,” said Mahlangu.
However, the Dispatch has learnt that the probe found Siyabonga be held liable for the damages and that action should be taken against him to recover the R151 000.
“While councillor Gomba could not, in my view, be held liable for any amount, I conclude that her conduct did not meet the standards provided for in the code of conduct prescribed for councillors in using the vehicle well beyond that for which it was authorised and not returning it after it had served the purpose for which it was hired and for refusing to afford any co-operation in this investigation,” states Clark’s report.
Regarding suggestions that Gomba was without a valid driver’s licence at the time, the probe found she had renewed her licence on August 24, but revealed it was only due to expire on November 6 2012.
“She was indeed the holder of a valid licence at all material times,” stated the report.
It further said the Mercedes was hired at a cost of R1250 a day and that there were two days where it should not have been on hire to Gomba, placing the blame on Simon-Ndzele.
“Thus the speaker should be held liable for R2500 representing fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred for the hire of the vehicle for two of the days for which the hire should not have been approved,” said the report.
The report further revealed the vehicle had 493km on the clock when it was given to Gomba and she returned it with 1168km.
“Even if some latitude is allowed, it would in my view, be difficult to refute that there has been considerable usage of the vehicle for purposes other than the attendance of the two examinations,” claimed the report.
Clark yesterday refused to talk about the matter while Simon-Ndzele and the Gombas could not be reached for comment.
“There is nothing I can confirm to the newspaper,” said Clark.
“My obligation is to report to the municipality and no one else.” — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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