The ANC has suspended former Amathole district mayor Nomasikizi Khonza and councillor Nanziwe Rulashe, effective from yesterday.
This is in line with the findings of the party’s provincial integrity committee (PIC) led by Professor Shepherd Mayathula, which found the two guilty of bringing the ANC into disrepute.
This followed their arrests five months ago for alleged involvement in swindling more than R2.5-million from municipal coffers for a private beauty contest Rulashe hosted last year.
Three others, including social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi, were found not guilty by the committee.
Khonza and Rulashe allegedly defrauded the district municipality of more than R2.5-million under the pretence that they were funding the annual Miss Amathole Heritage beauty pageant.
The money was supposed to cover the costs for accommodation, a gala dinner, marketing, venue hire and other logistics.
The Dispatch reported that the funds were paid in two instalments into separate bank accounts, one of which had Rulashe as a signatory.
Sihlwayi appeared before the committee following a Dispatch exposé which revealed that she had instructed her senior managers to exclude poor white children from a workshop intended to help deal with vulnerable youth from all races.
Mabuyane said the PIC “could not find any evidence to that effect as a result no sanction was recommended”.
Former BCM councillor Ayanda Peter was special programmes head when more than R250000 was used for an egg-and-spoon race tournament that never took place.
The Saturday Dispatch reported in March that BCM hosted six sports tournaments at a cost of R2.1-million, but the events did not take place despite a number of companies being paid.
A council report revealed that a Mdantsane-based maintenance company claimed R250000 to host the egg-and-spoon race, a tug-of-war contest, a bucket race and a soccer tournament.
The event was due to take place on December 5 and 6 last year, but sources say it never did.
The ANC’s Dr WB Rubusana regional executive committee member, Koko Godlo, was also grilled on his alleged involvement in a boxing tournament in which his KK Productions received R700000.
The event was meant to have taken place in November, but Boxing South Africa in the province distanced itself from the boxing tournament, saying Godlo last hosted a tournament in 2014.
“There was no evidence before the PIC except for newspaper reports, and so both Peter and Koko were also found not guilty of any wrongdoing,” said Mabuyane. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
ANC suspends Amathole accused Khonza, Rulashe
This is in line with the findings of the party’s provincial integrity committee (PIC) led by Professor Shepherd Mayathula, which found the two guilty of bringing the ANC into disrepute.
This followed their arrests five months ago for alleged involvement in swindling more than R2.5-million from municipal coffers for a private beauty contest Rulashe hosted last year.
Three others, including social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi, were found not guilty by the committee.
Khonza and Rulashe allegedly defrauded the district municipality of more than R2.5-million under the pretence that they were funding the annual Miss Amathole Heritage beauty pageant.
The money was supposed to cover the costs for accommodation, a gala dinner, marketing, venue hire and other logistics.
The Dispatch reported that the funds were paid in two instalments into separate bank accounts, one of which had Rulashe as a signatory.
Sihlwayi appeared before the committee following a Dispatch exposé which revealed that she had instructed her senior managers to exclude poor white children from a workshop intended to help deal with vulnerable youth from all races.
Mabuyane said the PIC “could not find any evidence to that effect as a result no sanction was recommended”.
Former BCM councillor Ayanda Peter was special programmes head when more than R250000 was used for an egg-and-spoon race tournament that never took place.
The Saturday Dispatch reported in March that BCM hosted six sports tournaments at a cost of R2.1-million, but the events did not take place despite a number of companies being paid.
A council report revealed that a Mdantsane-based maintenance company claimed R250000 to host the egg-and-spoon race, a tug-of-war contest, a bucket race and a soccer tournament.
The event was due to take place on December 5 and 6 last year, but sources say it never did.
The ANC’s Dr WB Rubusana regional executive committee member, Koko Godlo, was also grilled on his alleged involvement in a boxing tournament in which his KK Productions received R700000.
The event was meant to have taken place in November, but Boxing South Africa in the province distanced itself from the boxing tournament, saying Godlo last hosted a tournament in 2014.
“There was no evidence before the PIC except for newspaper reports, and so both Peter and Koko were also found not guilty of any wrongdoing,” said Mabuyane. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
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