Sekhukhune mayor ordered to discipline official over alleged corruption

A special council sitting in the embattled Sekhukhune district municipality in Limpopo has ordered its executive mayor, Keamotseng Ramaila, to institute disciplinary action against its acting municipal manager, Mpho Mofokeng.

The move follows allegations that Mofokeng, five directors and managers working in the municipality were involved in the irregular awarding of Covid-19 emergency intervention tenders amounting to R26 million.

The irregular appointment of the companies allegedly took place in June, while the mayor was away.

The money was meant to be used to drill and refurbish boreholes, cement pipelines and for reticulation in several villages hard-hit by drought in an effort to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Mofokeng and the officials are accused of having signed for the appointment of the companies without following procedure.

It is alleged that Mofokeng, together with two members of the mayoral committee and two managers in sections that deal with municipal business, had agreed to siphon off funds, using the Covid-19 emergency intervention projects.

“But there was a dispute after Mofokeng allegedly forwarded only companies owned by his cronies to deliver the projects,” a source alleged.

The Citizen can reveal that when Ramaila came back from leave, he was briefed about the matter and immediately stopped the process. He later approached the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane to guide him on procedures to follow when dealing with Covid-19 and procurement processes.