More senior Buffalo City Metro (BCM) administration bosses have been placed on suspension for their alleged involvement in the Nelson Mandela funeral scandal.
BCM irregularly forked out about R6-million to transport mourners in the days leading up to Mandela’s funeral in December 2013.
The metro’s supply chain management (SCM) head Thembelani Sali, who was alleged by public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane as having pocketed some of the money, was suspended this week.
The metro’s executive support head, Ondela Mahlangu, was placed on suspension late last week for her alleged involvement in the scandal.
Sali’s suspension comes after damning findings were made against him by Mkhwebane, who had also recommended that action be taken against him; Mahlangu; chief financial officer (CFO) Vincent Pillay and a junior official at SCM, Nqaba Ludidi.
The suspension of Sali, Mahlangu and Ludidi comes hot on the heels of Pillay’s suspension early last week.
In December Mkhwebane gave BCM mayor Xola Pakati 60 days to report to her office on the progress made with the implementation of her proposed remedial actions.
Even though a number of sources close to the issue, who spoke on condition they remain anonymous, yesterday confirmed the suspensions, metro spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya refused to comment.
“As the metro, at this stage we cannot comment on the issues that are between an employer and its employees,” was all Ngwenya could say yesterday.
Numerous attempts to reach Sali were unsuccessful. He did not respond to voice and text messages left on his phone by late yesterday, while Mahlangu refused to comment.
In December 2013 BCM contracted Victory Ticket 750CC, an entity owned by East London businessman Mzwandile Sokwali, to provide transport to the memorial services.
More than R5.9-million was paid to Sokwali’s company for the services, despite it only being registered on the BCM supplier database a few days before the payment was made.
In her findings against Sali, Mkhwebane found that, in regard to the registration of Victory Ticket750CC on the BCM supplier database: “Mr Sokwali stated in his statement that he received a telephone call from Pumlani Mkolo enquiring about his company registration, and on realising that the company was not registered, Mr Mkolo suggested that they visit the BCM SCM offices.
“At the offices they met with Sali, who confirmed that the company was not registered and called Mr Ludidi with a request that the company be registered, which was done on 11 December 2013.”
In her report, Mkhwebane said Sali was paid R80000 by Sokwali on December 16 2013, “at the instruction of Mkolo”.
Mkolo, Ludidi and Sokwali could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Mahlangu was suspended for signing the request for a deviation, which paved the way for the release of the funds.
According to Mkhwebane, Mahlangu had initially refused to do so, “though she later relented and signed”.
“Mahlangu stated that she signed what she was requested to sign because of pressure exerted on her, not only by her seniors in the municipality such as Pillay, but by outsiders as well, such as the ANC’s Mkolo, who phoned her several times.
“According to Mahlangu, throughout the entire process, she was subjected to unrelenting pressure and she felt that she was used as a pawn to swindle the municipality of its funds by high-profile people who were the real drivers of the project,” stated the report.
She further said: “Mahlangu confirmed that, in addition to the invoice for R5.9-million received from Victory Ticket 750cc, she received another invoice from the same entity for approximately R3-million on 17 January 2014, delivered to her by a messenger from Pillay’s office”.
Apparently, on instructions from the former city manager Andile Fani, that new invoice was not paid, according to Mkhwebane.
The public protector, in her report, also recommended that the national ministry of finance request the presidency to issue a proclamation for the Special Investigating Unit to further investigate the matter. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
BCM suspends more bosses over Mandela saga
BCM irregularly forked out about R6-million to transport mourners in the days leading up to Mandela’s funeral in December 2013.
The metro’s supply chain management (SCM) head Thembelani Sali, who was alleged by public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane as having pocketed some of the money, was suspended this week.
The metro’s executive support head, Ondela Mahlangu, was placed on suspension late last week for her alleged involvement in the scandal.
Sali’s suspension comes after damning findings were made against him by Mkhwebane, who had also recommended that action be taken against him; Mahlangu; chief financial officer (CFO) Vincent Pillay and a junior official at SCM, Nqaba Ludidi.
The suspension of Sali, Mahlangu and Ludidi comes hot on the heels of Pillay’s suspension early last week.
In December Mkhwebane gave BCM mayor Xola Pakati 60 days to report to her office on the progress made with the implementation of her proposed remedial actions.
Even though a number of sources close to the issue, who spoke on condition they remain anonymous, yesterday confirmed the suspensions, metro spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya refused to comment.
“As the metro, at this stage we cannot comment on the issues that are between an employer and its employees,” was all Ngwenya could say yesterday.
Numerous attempts to reach Sali were unsuccessful. He did not respond to voice and text messages left on his phone by late yesterday, while Mahlangu refused to comment.
In December 2013 BCM contracted Victory Ticket 750CC, an entity owned by East London businessman Mzwandile Sokwali, to provide transport to the memorial services.
More than R5.9-million was paid to Sokwali’s company for the services, despite it only being registered on the BCM supplier database a few days before the payment was made.
In her findings against Sali, Mkhwebane found that, in regard to the registration of Victory Ticket750CC on the BCM supplier database: “Mr Sokwali stated in his statement that he received a telephone call from Pumlani Mkolo enquiring about his company registration, and on realising that the company was not registered, Mr Mkolo suggested that they visit the BCM SCM offices.
“At the offices they met with Sali, who confirmed that the company was not registered and called Mr Ludidi with a request that the company be registered, which was done on 11 December 2013.”
In her report, Mkhwebane said Sali was paid R80000 by Sokwali on December 16 2013, “at the instruction of Mkolo”.
Mkolo, Ludidi and Sokwali could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Mahlangu was suspended for signing the request for a deviation, which paved the way for the release of the funds.
According to Mkhwebane, Mahlangu had initially refused to do so, “though she later relented and signed”.
“Mahlangu stated that she signed what she was requested to sign because of pressure exerted on her, not only by her seniors in the municipality such as Pillay, but by outsiders as well, such as the ANC’s Mkolo, who phoned her several times.
“According to Mahlangu, throughout the entire process, she was subjected to unrelenting pressure and she felt that she was used as a pawn to swindle the municipality of its funds by high-profile people who were the real drivers of the project,” stated the report.
She further said: “Mahlangu confirmed that, in addition to the invoice for R5.9-million received from Victory Ticket 750cc, she received another invoice from the same entity for approximately R3-million on 17 January 2014, delivered to her by a messenger from Pillay’s office”.
Apparently, on instructions from the former city manager Andile Fani, that new invoice was not paid, according to Mkhwebane.
The public protector, in her report, also recommended that the national ministry of finance request the presidency to issue a proclamation for the Special Investigating Unit to further investigate the matter. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos