A new investigation committee has been established in Buffalo City Metro to probe two senior ANC councillors implicated in the Nelson Mandela funeral scandal.
The two councillors, Luleka Simon-Ndzele and Sindiswa Gomba, will be investigated for violating the councillors’ code of conduct after public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found that they, as well as former BCM mayor Zukiswa Ncitha, “acted dishonestly, without good faith and in a manner that compromised the integrity of the BCM” in a recent report on how BCM forked out about R6-million to one company leading up to former president Mandela’s funeral in 2013.
The committee was established after the ANC in the Eastern Cape instructed the provincial government and all councils to act against those implicated in the looting of state funds during Mandela’s mourning period in 2013.
Simon-Ndzele and Gomba are also among those facing criminal charges over the scandal.
The committee was approved last week during a closed session of a council meeting.
The eight-member multiparty committee – five ANC councillors, two DA councillors and one EFF councillor – will be chaired by the ANC’s Sindile Toni.
“The executive mayor and councillors Gomba and Simon-Ndzele of the BCM municipal council acted in violation of the code of conduct for councillors by putting the interests of the ANC instead of that of the BCM first,” Mkhwebane said in the report, released in December.
Her probe came after complaints from citizens concerning a firm that was paid R6-million by BCM to ferry mourners around the city over three days to memorial services in honour of Mandela.
This was found to have been improper and constituting maladministration.
Although both Gomba and Simon-Ndzele were issued with notices in September informing them about evidence in the possession of the public protector that implicated them and affording them an opportunity to respond, Gomba failed to respond.
However, she told the Daily Dispatch yesterday: “I have never been afforded an opportunity to answer to the public protector.
“Other people were given that opportunity but I never had it. I had a problem with my laptop so I never received any notice from them.”
Gomba said she had no problem with the committee.
“I am not guilty of anything. I don’t even have a problem with the court. I will answer for myself,” she said.
Simon-Ndzele could not be reached for comment yesterday.
ANC councillors face BCM probe over funeral scandal
The two councillors, Luleka Simon-Ndzele and Sindiswa Gomba, will be investigated for violating the councillors’ code of conduct after public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found that they, as well as former BCM mayor Zukiswa Ncitha, “acted dishonestly, without good faith and in a manner that compromised the integrity of the BCM” in a recent report on how BCM forked out about R6-million to one company leading up to former president Mandela’s funeral in 2013.
The committee was established after the ANC in the Eastern Cape instructed the provincial government and all councils to act against those implicated in the looting of state funds during Mandela’s mourning period in 2013.
Simon-Ndzele and Gomba are also among those facing criminal charges over the scandal.
The committee was approved last week during a closed session of a council meeting.
The eight-member multiparty committee – five ANC councillors, two DA councillors and one EFF councillor – will be chaired by the ANC’s Sindile Toni.
“The executive mayor and councillors Gomba and Simon-Ndzele of the BCM municipal council acted in violation of the code of conduct for councillors by putting the interests of the ANC instead of that of the BCM first,” Mkhwebane said in the report, released in December.
Her probe came after complaints from citizens concerning a firm that was paid R6-million by BCM to ferry mourners around the city over three days to memorial services in honour of Mandela.
This was found to have been improper and constituting maladministration.
Although both Gomba and Simon-Ndzele were issued with notices in September informing them about evidence in the possession of the public protector that implicated them and affording them an opportunity to respond, Gomba failed to respond.
However, she told the Daily Dispatch yesterday: “I have never been afforded an opportunity to answer to the public protector.
“Other people were given that opportunity but I never had it. I had a problem with my laptop so I never received any notice from them.”
Gomba said she had no problem with the committee.
“I am not guilty of anything. I don’t even have a problem with the court. I will answer for myself,” she said.
Simon-Ndzele could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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