ANC heavyweights have rallied behind under-fire Ndlambe mayor Sipho Tandani by helping him settle a R92000 account owed to a local hardware store.
The anonymous bailout comes weeks after Tandani was provisionally sequestrated in the Grahamstown High Court for failing to settle a personal account with Builders Trader for materials delivered and used to renovate his Station Hill home last year.
More than 20 ANC politicians from regional and local structures rallied behind Tandani at a press conference late on Tuesday afternoon where it was denied he had allegedly offered to secure Builders Trader a lucrative piping contract as a trade- off for settling his private debt.
The explosive allegations are contained in two affidavits from Builders Trader director Rory McNelis and their attorney Hein Audie in the sequestration application on April 18.
The corruption accusation is being investigated by police after the Ndlambe DA handed the high court sequestration documentation to them two weeks ago.
Although Tandani attended the press conference, it was left to ANC regional secretary Scara Njadayi and Cacadu mayoral committee member Vukile “Re” Balura to address reporters.
Describing claims in the two affidavits that the mayor was meddling in supply chain processes by offering a bribe as “serious political allegations”, Njadayi said, however, that after meeting with Tandani, the ruling party leadership was convinced he and the ANC were both corruption free.
He said he was unsure how Tandani would be able to secure the alleged piping contract bribe as the mayor did not sit on any supply chain process committees, nor was he involved with the Amathola Water Board, who would have to award the tender to a supplier of their choice.
According to Balura and Njadayi, Tandani had secured loans and already made two payments of R40000 last week and R52000 on Monday to Builders Trader.
All that needed to be settled now was the interest .
However, both ANC leaders were tightlipped as to the origin of the loan and said it would also have to be repaid with interest. “Rest assured this loan money does not come from corrupt activities,” Balura said.
Although Njadayi added ANC members were “comrades and friends” who helped each other, he said the ruling party could not defend corruption.
He accused the DA of trying to “score cheap political points” by handing over the high court affidavits to police to investigate alleged corruption.
DA caucus leader Ross Purdon yesterday said although they regarded Tandani’s provisional sequestration as a personal matter, they regarded the allegations in the affidavits as “extremely serious”.
He confirmed the DA had requested police to investigate.
The alleged bribe was, according to McNelis’s affidavit, turned down and Audie was instructed to instead proceed with legal action to try and recover the money – after the materials were used to vastly improve the semi-detached Station Hill house he lives in.
Attempts to get confirmation from McNelis that the money had been paid proved fruitless yesterday. —
ANC bails out mayor after graft claims
The anonymous bailout comes weeks after Tandani was provisionally sequestrated in the Grahamstown High Court for failing to settle a personal account with Builders Trader for materials delivered and used to renovate his Station Hill home last year.
More than 20 ANC politicians from regional and local structures rallied behind Tandani at a press conference late on Tuesday afternoon where it was denied he had allegedly offered to secure Builders Trader a lucrative piping contract as a trade- off for settling his private debt.
The explosive allegations are contained in two affidavits from Builders Trader director Rory McNelis and their attorney Hein Audie in the sequestration application on April 18.
The corruption accusation is being investigated by police after the Ndlambe DA handed the high court sequestration documentation to them two weeks ago.
Although Tandani attended the press conference, it was left to ANC regional secretary Scara Njadayi and Cacadu mayoral committee member Vukile “Re” Balura to address reporters.
Describing claims in the two affidavits that the mayor was meddling in supply chain processes by offering a bribe as “serious political allegations”, Njadayi said, however, that after meeting with Tandani, the ruling party leadership was convinced he and the ANC were both corruption free.
He said he was unsure how Tandani would be able to secure the alleged piping contract bribe as the mayor did not sit on any supply chain process committees, nor was he involved with the Amathola Water Board, who would have to award the tender to a supplier of their choice.
According to Balura and Njadayi, Tandani had secured loans and already made two payments of R40000 last week and R52000 on Monday to Builders Trader.
All that needed to be settled now was the interest .
However, both ANC leaders were tightlipped as to the origin of the loan and said it would also have to be repaid with interest. “Rest assured this loan money does not come from corrupt activities,” Balura said.
Although Njadayi added ANC members were “comrades and friends” who helped each other, he said the ruling party could not defend corruption.
He accused the DA of trying to “score cheap political points” by handing over the high court affidavits to police to investigate alleged corruption.
DA caucus leader Ross Purdon yesterday said although they regarded Tandani’s provisional sequestration as a personal matter, they regarded the allegations in the affidavits as “extremely serious”.
He confirmed the DA had requested police to investigate.
The alleged bribe was, according to McNelis’s affidavit, turned down and Audie was instructed to instead proceed with legal action to try and recover the money – after the materials were used to vastly improve the semi-detached Station Hill house he lives in.
Attempts to get confirmation from McNelis that the money had been paid proved fruitless yesterday. —
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