EASTERN Cape ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane has again come under fire for interfering in the appointment of senior municipal officials.
Mabuyane allegedly sent a text message to leaders of OR Tambo District Municipality regarding the reappointment of chief financial officer Moabi Moleko.
Moleko, whose contract with OR Tambo expired last year, was implicated in a forensic investigation by KPMG into the awarding of a R25-million tender to install VIP toilets in the district.
He allegedly authorised a deviation from normal tender processes and approved a request from a senior manager, who solicited quotations from two companies.
This was contrary to the municipality’s supply chain management policy, which states that only the accounting officer can make a final award or appoint suppliers for contracts with a value exceeding R10-million.
The report recommended that the municipality open criminal investigations into the conduct of Moleko and senior manager.
On January 31 Mabuyane is alleged to have sent a text message to ANC chief whip Nolitha Ntobongwana, mayor Nomakhosazana Meth, regional ANC secretary Lulama Ngcukayithobi and provincial executive committee (PEC) member Blacks Gade.
It was sent on the day the ANC in council pushed for Moleko’s reappointment.
The message reads: “Chief whip the CFO matter must be processed today with the appointment of number one from the panel, but the council must still pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and he will be found guilty of any wrong doing. Council then deals with that.
“In the appointment it must be indicated as such so that clause can be easily activated .”
Moleko was number one on the candidate list.
The Daily Dispatch received the text message from different sources over the past few days.
Contacted yesterday Mabuyane denied he interfered.
“Who said that, because they are the ones who sent him to interviews and he was number one . Where was I in that? There is no such,” he said.
Ntobongwana said she did not know if normal deployment processes had been followed because he did not sit on the ANC’s deployment committee.
“The ANC follows its own processes but I do not sit in those committees. What I know is that there was a recruitment process that took place within the municipality just like in any other vacancy.”
Ntobongwana said she was not aware of Mabuyane’s text message. Ngcukayithobi could not be reached for comment.
It is not the first time Mabuyane has been implicated in meddling with council decisions.
Last year he sent an instruction to then OR Tambo regional secretary Lawrence Mambila to endorse the appointment of Zwelixolile Zipete for a senior manager position. Zipete was the third best candidate.
Mabuyane is alleged to have also endorsed the appointment of Siphiwo Caga as Nxuba municipal manager and King Socikwa as Amahlathi municipal manager.
At the time he disputed the claims and dismissed the Dispatch’s sources as “mischievous”.
“They are distorting what normally happens in terms of ANC processes.
“Calata does not interfere with anyone’s oversight role,” he said at the time.
Mambila said the regional executive committee was not aware of Moleko’s appointment as they still had to engage the PEC.
“We have heard the rumours about the appointment of the CFO apparently at the instruction of the secretary through an SMS. We do not think that is in order.
Mambila said the municipality’s finance department needed sober leadership.
“We cannot appoint someone with such serious allegations against him.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Give that man a job
Mabuyane allegedly sent a text message to leaders of OR Tambo District Municipality regarding the reappointment of chief financial officer Moabi Moleko.
Moleko, whose contract with OR Tambo expired last year, was implicated in a forensic investigation by KPMG into the awarding of a R25-million tender to install VIP toilets in the district.
He allegedly authorised a deviation from normal tender processes and approved a request from a senior manager, who solicited quotations from two companies.
This was contrary to the municipality’s supply chain management policy, which states that only the accounting officer can make a final award or appoint suppliers for contracts with a value exceeding R10-million.
The report recommended that the municipality open criminal investigations into the conduct of Moleko and senior manager.
On January 31 Mabuyane is alleged to have sent a text message to ANC chief whip Nolitha Ntobongwana, mayor Nomakhosazana Meth, regional ANC secretary Lulama Ngcukayithobi and provincial executive committee (PEC) member Blacks Gade.
It was sent on the day the ANC in council pushed for Moleko’s reappointment.
The message reads: “Chief whip the CFO matter must be processed today with the appointment of number one from the panel, but the council must still pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and he will be found guilty of any wrong doing. Council then deals with that.
“In the appointment it must be indicated as such so that clause can be easily activated .”
Moleko was number one on the candidate list.
The Daily Dispatch received the text message from different sources over the past few days.
Contacted yesterday Mabuyane denied he interfered.
“Who said that, because they are the ones who sent him to interviews and he was number one . Where was I in that? There is no such,” he said.
Ntobongwana said she did not know if normal deployment processes had been followed because he did not sit on the ANC’s deployment committee.
“The ANC follows its own processes but I do not sit in those committees. What I know is that there was a recruitment process that took place within the municipality just like in any other vacancy.”
Ntobongwana said she was not aware of Mabuyane’s text message. Ngcukayithobi could not be reached for comment.
It is not the first time Mabuyane has been implicated in meddling with council decisions.
Last year he sent an instruction to then OR Tambo regional secretary Lawrence Mambila to endorse the appointment of Zwelixolile Zipete for a senior manager position. Zipete was the third best candidate.
Mabuyane is alleged to have also endorsed the appointment of Siphiwo Caga as Nxuba municipal manager and King Socikwa as Amahlathi municipal manager.
At the time he disputed the claims and dismissed the Dispatch’s sources as “mischievous”.
“They are distorting what normally happens in terms of ANC processes.
“Calata does not interfere with anyone’s oversight role,” he said at the time.
Mambila said the regional executive committee was not aware of Moleko’s appointment as they still had to engage the PEC.
“We have heard the rumours about the appointment of the CFO apparently at the instruction of the secretary through an SMS. We do not think that is in order.
Mambila said the municipality’s finance department needed sober leadership.
“We cannot appoint someone with such serious allegations against him.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
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