Amathole ANC leaders have asked for an urgent meeting with cooperative governance MEC Fikile Xasa to discuss a Hawks investigation into a former Nkonkobe municipal manager and present head of the Eastern Cape Liquor Board Khanyile Maneli.
The meeting follows a decision by the ANC’s Amathole regional working committee to instruct its Nkonkobe councillors to set aside two items – one of them is a report on why Maneli was under investigation by the Hawks.
Maneli is accused of using municipal funds and workers to build his four-roomed Dyamala village house before moving to head the liquor board earlier this year.
The Daily Dispatch reported earlier that the Fort Beaufort-based council also shelved the tabling of a recommendation from Xasa that more than R200000 should be recovered from Nkonkobe councillor Neziwe Rulashe.
Rulashe received the money while “double parking” (receiving pay for two jobs) as a senior councillor in Amahlathi between 2012-13.
Maneli is currently vying for the regional chairman position against Nkonkobe municipal manager Anele Ntsangani, who recently reported Maneli to the Hawks.
Maneli has denied the allegations, saying he hired the workers to build his house outside of work hours.
ANC regional secretary Terice Ntutu said they viewed Xasa’s letters written two years after both incidents as an administrative ploy to settle political scores. “We want to hear from the MEC that this is not a coincidence. We find this surprising that two years after Rulashe left Amathole as councillor, she is now being made to pay back the money. In KC’s case, two years after the matter was reported to MEC’s office, only now the council is instructed to submit a report,” said Ntutu.
But Xasa said the decisions to act against Rulashe and Maneli were purely administrative. “When I received a letter from Nkonkobe council which had resolved to fire Rulashe, I made a recommendation that let me first give her a hearing and thereafter we recommended that instead of firing her, they must arrange that she pays back the money,” Xasa said.
“Does that have anything to do with an ANC regional general council? No ...The region is more than welcome to meet with me, but they must not make a blunder and interfere with administrative matters using the ANC name.”
Amathole ANC region asks to meet Xasa
The meeting follows a decision by the ANC’s Amathole regional working committee to instruct its Nkonkobe councillors to set aside two items – one of them is a report on why Maneli was under investigation by the Hawks.
Maneli is accused of using municipal funds and workers to build his four-roomed Dyamala village house before moving to head the liquor board earlier this year.
The Daily Dispatch reported earlier that the Fort Beaufort-based council also shelved the tabling of a recommendation from Xasa that more than R200000 should be recovered from Nkonkobe councillor Neziwe Rulashe.
Rulashe received the money while “double parking” (receiving pay for two jobs) as a senior councillor in Amahlathi between 2012-13.
Maneli is currently vying for the regional chairman position against Nkonkobe municipal manager Anele Ntsangani, who recently reported Maneli to the Hawks.
Maneli has denied the allegations, saying he hired the workers to build his house outside of work hours.
ANC regional secretary Terice Ntutu said they viewed Xasa’s letters written two years after both incidents as an administrative ploy to settle political scores. “We want to hear from the MEC that this is not a coincidence. We find this surprising that two years after Rulashe left Amathole as councillor, she is now being made to pay back the money. In KC’s case, two years after the matter was reported to MEC’s office, only now the council is instructed to submit a report,” said Ntutu.
But Xasa said the decisions to act against Rulashe and Maneli were purely administrative. “When I received a letter from Nkonkobe council which had resolved to fire Rulashe, I made a recommendation that let me first give her a hearing and thereafter we recommended that instead of firing her, they must arrange that she pays back the money,” Xasa said.
“Does that have anything to do with an ANC regional general council? No ...The region is more than welcome to meet with me, but they must not make a blunder and interfere with administrative matters using the ANC name.”
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