Fire Limpopo mayors, henchmen in VBS saga, report recommends
'By the start of next month, they will all be former mayors. The ANC has already started to recruit new mayors,' a source privy to the report says.
VBS Mutual Bank. Picture: Twitter
A Limpopo committee tasked by Premier Stan Mathabatha to investigate the VBS investment saga has recommended the firing of the political management teams (PMT) of the six implicated municipalities. These comprise mayors, chief whips and council speakers.
The report was tabled to the party’s provincial working committee on Monday and will be open to the public at the end of the month.
A source privy to the report said the mayors implicated are from the Makhado, Collins Chabane, Lepelle Nkumpi, Tubatse/ Fetakgomo, Ellias Motsoaledi/ Ephraim Mohale and the Vhembe municipalities.
Sasavona Mathebula, mayor of the Giyani local municipality in Mopani, was safe for now because investigations revealed she was not part of a meeting at a hotel, where all mayors were advised to invest with the bank.
“But mayors for the other six are living on borrowed time. By the start of next month, they will all be former mayors. The ANC has already started to recruit new mayors,” said the source.
Last week, Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha said the outcome of the investigations by all committees will be ready by the end of the month.
Mathabatha said he would not punish implicated ANC members because the national leadership was presiding over the matter.
The NEC has since referred the matter to the NWC of the ANC.
Two Limpopo ANC top dogs, party provincial deputy chairperson Florence Radzilani and party treasurer Danny Msiza, were fingered by a report dubbed “The Great Bank Heist”.
The Vhembe district municipality invested R300 million into VBS. Radzilani is also the executive mayor. If the recommendations by the committee are implemented, she will be dismissed.
SACP provincial secretary Gilbert Kganyago, also listed in the report, was suspended last week for allegedly leading his municipality to invest R60 million.
ANC spokesperson in Limpopo Donald Selamolela confirmed the report was ready, “but I may not comment on the marching orders”.
– alexm@citizen.co.za
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