THE Democratic Alliance in Ekurhuleni has called on the executive mayor to place city manager, Khaya Ngema, on suspension until the findings of an Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigation into the alleged irregular awarding of a R31-million tender are made known.
In January 2013 an item first appeared before council implicating the city manager in irregularly awarding a tender worth R31 million to a company called Qbit to perform an institutional review of Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality, DA councillor Fortune Mahano said.
“At the time, it was a resolution of council that the item be referred to the SIU for investigation as the tender deviated drastically from both the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and the metro’s supply chain management policies. This was never done.”
A year and seven months later, an external report compiled by Gobodo Forensic Investigative Accounting was unexpectedly tabled at the July council meeting. Before the report saw the light of day, the ANC caucus withdrew the item, claiming it was doing so on a technicality, according to Mahano.
“In light of this, the DA has this week called for a vote of no confidence in the city manager, and requested that executive mayor Mondli Gungubele suspend Ngema with immediate effect.
“Stemming from media attention to the matter and continued probing by the DA, the executive mayor’s hand has now been forced. The delay tactics employed by him have highlighted that political protection for well-connected officials, standing accused of serious corruption, is the order of the day under this administration.
“The DA is insistent that Ngema be placed on suspension until the SIU has completed its investigation into the matter. If he is found guilty, he should be personally liable for the public money he has allegedly misappropriated.
“Further, the DA will ask detailed questions on how much the Gobodo investigation cost ratepayers and under what circumstances this company was appointed to conduct the probe,” Mahano said.
