NELSPRUIT – Two managers from Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) were placed on precautionary suspension yesterday. Mr Xolani Mzobe, municipal manager, and Mr Rasheed Matola, the general manager of community services, were suspended during a special council meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
This came after Mr Simon Skosana, MEC for the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), presented a preliminary report on the Section 106-investigation currently being conducted into the MLM’s finances and governance. The attorneys conducting the investigation was granted an additional two weeks to finalise it last week.
According to Skosana, the preliminary report focused mainly on procurement issues, with emphasis on the procurement that took place during the Afcon tournament at the beginning of the year and capital infrastructure projects. “The preliminary findings point out certain irregualrities with compliance to the Municipal Finance Management Act and supply chain management regulations and policies of the municipality. These irregularities do not at this stage point out to any matters of corruption and failure to deliver services,” he said in a press statement.
Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for the municipality, could not be reached for comment on the precautionary suspensions. Mr Simphiwe Kunene, spokesman for Cogta, would not comment on the recommendations made to the municipality in the report. “We first want to give the municipality an opportunity to deal with the recommendations,” he said.
Kunene added that any individuals implicated would be given the opportunity to respond before action is taken against them.
Mr Werner le Grange, DA chief whip in the council, said the party believed there was more to the suspensions that meet the eye. “The DA however believes that Mzobe’s suspension stems from political tensions within the local and provincial ANC, and if the Afcon investigation is truly the reason behind the suspensions, why is no action being taken against mayor Cathy Dlamini and members of her mayoral committees?”
“The DA looks forward to the final outcome of the investigation, and will take appropriate action when the final investigation report is tabled before council,” he said.
