Two senior officials employed by the Polokwane Municipality have been suspended following a probe into irregularities and maladministration of more than R100m.

The two highly placed officials are suspected to have been involved in fraud and corruption relating to water project management contracts and buses the municipality acquired on the Leeto la Polokwane programme.

This is according to a forensic report that was commissioned by council on recommendation by both the Public Protector and the Auditor-General.

Around R2.9m was subsequently paid to an independent investigator to compile a report after an extensive investigation.

The report also implicates 17 other employees, including section managers and directors at the municipality.

The mayor, John Mpe, made the announcement earlier today during a press briefing.

“The Council, during a special meeting on Monday, took the decision to suspend two of its executive management officials in order to make way for them to undergo a disciplinary process,” he said.

“It is also important to note that, as the allegations are made and recommendations arise from the investigations, this does not mean that the officials are guilty of wrongdoing, but only that they have a case to answer to as the principle of innocent until proven guilty applies,” he said.

DA councillor Jacques Joubert told the Polokwane Observer that the report details verified acts of nepotism in the appointment of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers and irregular expenditure of R137m due to the irregular appointment of a service provider who performed a pre-bid evaluation, among others.