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Missing mayoral chain was borrowed from Emfuleni Municipality
DA in Gauteng raises concerns over disappearing mayoral chains after new information suggests Sedibeng has lost several chains.
Sedibeng Mayor Lerato Maloka allegedly ‘has to borrow a chain each time she makes a public appearance’. Picture: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Veli Nhlapo
The mystery behind the missing mayoral chain in Sedibeng District Municipality has taken a twist, with new information emerging the chain had been borrowed from Emfuleni Municipality.
According to DA MPL, Kingsol Chabalala the chain had been borrowed from the Emfuleni Municipality because several chains belonging to Sedibeng have disappeared in the past. The current chain which went missing last year after the State of the District Address (SODA) is believed to be worth more than R400 000.
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“As the DA we have learnt that the Sedibeng does not have a mayoral chain because they lost their chains. That is why the mayor has to borrow a chain each time she makes a public appearance,” Chabalala said.
Chabalala said the DA would also hold the Emfuleni Municipality accountable for the missing mayoral chain.
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“How do they keep quiet when something that expensive is lost in the hands of another municipality,” he said.
Attempts to get comment from the two municipalities were not successful as there were no responses to questions sent to them. The story will be updated as soon as comment is received.
Mayoral chain was placed in a safe
According to a police statement made by one of the officials who work in the mayor’s office, the mayoral chain was placed in a safe after the SODA last year. The statement says it was only a few months later that the municipal officials realised that the chain was gone.
Chabalala said he thinks that mayoral chains from different municipalities were being stolen and sold.
“These are very expensive pieces of jewelry and this is not the only municipality that has reported that their mayoral chains have been stolen,” he said.
Chabalala appealed to the MEC of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs Mzi Khumalo to investigate the theft of mayoral chains in the different municipalities in Gauteng.
