Four ward committee members say they have opened a case against their councillor for faking their signatures on registers to create the impression that monthly ward committees were taking place although not one has been held for nine months.
The four disgruntled ANC members in Mhlontlo municipality’s Ward 19 in Qumbu opened a complaint of fraud and corruption against their ward councillor Mfuneko Ngewu and council speaker Mbulelo Jara.
Ntobeko Saziwa, Nceba Mdletye, Nontobeko Nokhephe and Nowezile Mpisane, who all serve as ward committee members under Ngewu, accuse him of forging their signatures and signing the ward committee attendance register on their behalf.
The four told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that on June 15 they opened a case at the Qumbu police station against both Jara and Ngewu for fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
The Dispatch provided the case number to Mthatha cluster police spokeswoman Captain Dineo Koena, but the captain had not confirmed knowledge of the matter by deadline yesterday.Saziwa said ward committee members were required to hold a meeting at least once a month where they reported to Ngewu about people’s complaints and requests. In turn, Ngewu would give them feedback on municipal programmes so that they could to update the communities they served.
However, for the past nine months, Ngewu has allegedly failed to hold a single meeting while ward committee members continued to receive their monthly stipends of R2000 each. Ward committees were expected to sign an attendance register for every meeting.
“We found out that despite not having had any meetings, he [Ngewu] had signed for us on the attendance register,” said Saziwa.
“We are getting paid R2000 every month for doing virtually nothing. Instead of sitting in ward committee meetings, the ward councillor just signs on our behalf thinking we are going to smile for getting money without working.”
Mdletye said they had tried to take the matter up with Jara, who instead had protected Ngewu. Mdletye said they were required by law to sign every month, but now were faced with the wrath of villagers as they were unable to report back.
This was echoed by Mpisane, who added: “It’s like we are stealing government’s money.”
Ngewu refuted allegations of fraud and corruption against him and instead accused the four of being used by people who wanted to get rid of him.
He said there had been previous attempts to oust him which had failed.
When asked who was behind the four ward committee members, he claimed there were people who wanted to “remote control” him and because he had refused, they were using every trick in the book to tarnish his name.
He dismissed claims that he had failed to hold meetings for nine months, saying they were supposed to have a meeting even last week which had to be cancelled at the ward committee members’ request.
Jara also dismissed the claims saying it was the first he had heard about any allegations of forgery against Ngewu.
“They came to me complaining that he was handpicking people for community projects but this is the first time I hear about this.”
Jara, however, promised that the municipality would investigate to ascertain if there was any truth to the fraud allegations against Ngewu.
But Saziwa accused Jara of lying, saying they had gone as far as opening a criminal case and that they had evidence.
“It could have serious repercussions for us, so why would we lie,” Saziwa asked. —
sikhon@dispatch.co.za..