The administrative head of cash-strapped Mbhashe municipality could be in hot water for spending thousands of taxpayers’ rands on a staff awards ceremony which never happened and went against council’s orders.
The council recently established a multi-party task team to investigate why R14 0000 was used for the jamboree, despite council having ordered that the funds should not be spent.
Now council is demanding answers from municipal manager Silulami Poswa, who used the cash to pay for catering, gifts and a programme director or master of ceremonies (MC), for the non-event.
The municipality was supposed to host an excellence awards ceremony for its staff on December 10.
A day before the event, Poswa approached council seeking authorisation to spend R20 0000 in municipal coffers on the event.
After much deliberation, the council resolved to cancel the event and that no state money should be spent on it.
The Daily Dispatch has seen a copy of a council resolution prohibiting the hosting of the event and forbidding the use of public funds for the function.
Despite council scrapping the event, a report tabled in a recent council meeting shows that R139 619 of the R200 000 in the budget was spent on services related to the event.
Attempts to reach Poswa and council speaker Mkhululi Mcotsho for comment proved fruitless at the time of writing yesterday.
However, the council report shows that R78 000 was paid for “catering”, R39 000 for “gifts” meant for deserving employees, and R22 619 was paid to the person who was meant to be the MC.
According to the report, the above expenditure “was already committed and was subsequently paid”.
It further shows that the R78 000 worth of food was then used to feed more than 200 employees during a staff meeting on December 10.
The R39000 was procured and spent on gifts which were delivered to the municipality, where they are now behind locked doors destined “for use in a future awards ceremony”.
The report further states that the MC claimed and had to be paid the full amount “as she had already made travel arrangements” for the aborted December function.
The MC, who is believed to be one of the municipality’s lawyers, was paid on March 18, according to the report.
The council task team, chaired by ANC councillor Siphiwo Kalityi, consists of three other ANC councillors, one from COPE and one from United Democratic Movement.
Kalityi yesterday confirmed that their investigations “were ongoing”, but refused to give details.
Poswa is the eighth municipal manager to head the embattled municipality since 2011. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
R140 000 spent on cancelled awards event
The council recently established a multi-party task team to investigate why R14 0000 was used for the jamboree, despite council having ordered that the funds should not be spent.
Now council is demanding answers from municipal manager Silulami Poswa, who used the cash to pay for catering, gifts and a programme director or master of ceremonies (MC), for the non-event.
The municipality was supposed to host an excellence awards ceremony for its staff on December 10.
A day before the event, Poswa approached council seeking authorisation to spend R20 0000 in municipal coffers on the event.
After much deliberation, the council resolved to cancel the event and that no state money should be spent on it.
The Daily Dispatch has seen a copy of a council resolution prohibiting the hosting of the event and forbidding the use of public funds for the function.
Despite council scrapping the event, a report tabled in a recent council meeting shows that R139 619 of the R200 000 in the budget was spent on services related to the event.
Attempts to reach Poswa and council speaker Mkhululi Mcotsho for comment proved fruitless at the time of writing yesterday.
However, the council report shows that R78 000 was paid for “catering”, R39 000 for “gifts” meant for deserving employees, and R22 619 was paid to the person who was meant to be the MC.
According to the report, the above expenditure “was already committed and was subsequently paid”.
It further shows that the R78 000 worth of food was then used to feed more than 200 employees during a staff meeting on December 10.
The R39000 was procured and spent on gifts which were delivered to the municipality, where they are now behind locked doors destined “for use in a future awards ceremony”.
The report further states that the MC claimed and had to be paid the full amount “as she had already made travel arrangements” for the aborted December function.
The MC, who is believed to be one of the municipality’s lawyers, was paid on March 18, according to the report.
The council task team, chaired by ANC councillor Siphiwo Kalityi, consists of three other ANC councillors, one from COPE and one from United Democratic Movement.
Kalityi yesterday confirmed that their investigations “were ongoing”, but refused to give details.
Poswa is the eighth municipal manager to head the embattled municipality since 2011. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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