Arrest of Nongoma mayor commended
KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has commended the arrest of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Speaker of Nongoma Local Municipality on charges of fraud and corruption.
Buthelezi said the arrests send a strong message that corruption will not be tolerated and demonstrate government’s commitment to rooting out corruption and restoring accountability within the municipalities.
The MEC made the remarks during a meeting held this week at the council chamber of the Nongoma Local Municipality, where he met with all councillors and introduced Mpumelelo Bongani Mnguni as the new Acting Municipal Manager.
Mnguni’s appointment follows a recent High Court judgment, which set aside the previous appointments of the Acting Municipal Manager and Acting Chief Financial Officer.
The court judgment highlighted the significant financial strain on the municipality due to frivolous legal battles.
“The municipality faces significant financial challenges, with employee costs exceeding 50% of the budget, an overdraft, and exhausted project grants. The Acting Municipal Manager has been tasked with stabilising the financial situation and ensuring uninterrupted service delivery,” Buthelezi said.
The MEC reassured his commitment to supporting all municipalities in the province and will continue to take decisive action to uphold the law and ensure that municipalities deliver on their mandate.
City of Tshwane warns service providers of fraudster
The City of Tshwane has warned the public of a fraudster that is sending emails to service providers impersonating the City’s Chief Financial Officer about the appointment of a tender.
According to the City, the scammer is sending emails purporting to be the city’s Chief Financial Officer, Gareth Mnisi, and requesting that service providers contact them regarding the appointment of a tender to supply, deliver and off-load printing paper, files and envelopes for a period of three years, as and when required.
“The email is clearly manufactured by a fraudster and should be ignored. The public and potential service providers of the city are warned to not fall for such requests communicated via email or any other platform. The City’s tenders are advertised in various newspapers,” the city said on Thursday.
The City said it will be registering a case docket with the South African Police Service and ask them to escalate the matter to the Hawks.
“The City hopes that the fraudster will be apprehended and prosecuted for committing crime using the name of the metropolitan’s CFO,” the city said.
License examiner held for bribing anti-corruption investigators
A 59-year-old license examiner at the Temba driving license testing centre in Hammanskraal has been arrested after allegedly bribing anti-corruption investigators.
The official was under investigation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s national traffic anti-corruption unit and the Hawks – following allegations that he was involved in corrupt practices involving the fraudulent issuing of driving licences at the centre.
“It is alleged that the official offered a R50 000 bribe to investigators to sweep the investigation under the carpet. An entrapment order was obtained, and the investigators proposed that the official should meet them at a nearby shopping mall.
“The official allegedly approached the investigators carrying a white bag. He allegedly placed the bag inside the vehicle the investigators were travelling in declaring that it was R50 000 divided into two stacks,” the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said on Friday.
He was immediately arrested and detained at Temba police station.
The man is expected to appear in court on Monday for bail application.
Mayor welcomes judgement on unlawful occupiers from Walmer Airport Valley
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor Babalwa Lobishe has welcomed the Gqeberha High Court judgment, which mandates the eviction of unlawful occupiers from municipal properties in the Walmer Airport Valley and Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) in Walmer 1948.
The judgment passed on Thursday addresses the pressing issue of unlawful structures on municipal land, and empowers the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to take decisive action against illegal occupiers.
Lobishe said the ruling is a significant victory for the rightful beneficiaries of the project to develop decent human settlements for Walmer residents, and ensure that municipal resources are allocated fairly and lawfully.
“This judgment is a crucial step towards restoring order and fairness in our community. It reaffirms our commitment to upholding the law and protecting the rights of our residents and project beneficiaries,” Lobishe said.
Lobishe said the municipality will act swiftly to implement the court’s decision and ensure that all municipal properties are used for their intended purposes.
The municipality will also work closely with law enforcement agencies to carry out the evictions and remove any unlawful structures.
“This action is necessary to maintain the integrity of municipal land and to provide the rightful beneficiaries with the housing and resources they deserve,” Lobishe said.
Section 5 of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998, provides for urgent proceedings for eviction.
The Act also allows for the immediate removal of unlawful occupiers if the court is satisfied that there is a real and imminent danger of substantial injury or damage to any person or property if the unlawful occupier is not evicted; the likely hardship to the owner or any other affected person if the unlawful occupier is not evicted exceeds the likely hardship to the unlawful occupier if they are evicted, and there is no other effective remedy available.
Lobishe reassured that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality remains dedicated to serving its community and ensuring that all actions are taken in accordance with the law.
The mayor also urged all residents to respect the court’s decision and cooperate with the authorities during this process.