It was one of several expensive foreign trips the entity reportedly paid for, at a total cost of R400 000.
Water was not the only thing running at Umngeni-uThukela Water in Pietermaritzburg late last year, when the KwaZulu-Natal utility reportedly spent R125 000 for an official to fly first class to participate in the New York City Marathon.
It was one of several costly foreign trips the entity reportedly paid for, at a total cost of R400 000.
Whistle-blower documents leaked to the Sunday Times showed Umngeni-uThukela Water not only paid for supply chain management official Zandile Mhlongo’s costly flights to New York in October and November last year, but also R77 800 for her to participate in the marathon and four nights in a suite at the luxury Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan’s Times Square.
The publication said the trip was authorised under CEO Sandile Mkhize, despite objections from some executives.
Mkhize said that his relationship with Mhlongo was strictly professional, and in other documents he complained that if it wasn’t for an internal dispute over the “sponsorship” the cost would have been lower.
Umngeni-uThukela Water spokesperson Siyabonga Maphumulo said an internal audit is currently underway, looking into such sponsorships and “the cost-associated implications for the delayed approval of the sponsorship request”.
He defended the decision to send Mhlongo and others on foreign trips, adding that the utility has spent nearly R400 000 on such excursions through its sponsorship policy.
“[We have] supported numerous other young people from KwaZulu-Natal to participate in various international and continental events, consistent with [our] mandate of contributing to social development in the communities [we] serve. In the period in question, a sum of R390 875 was spent on such initiatives,” he said.
The UMngeni-uThukela Water Board received an unqualified report from the office of the Auditor-General in February, with the entity also recording a R679 million operating profit.
Board members also under fire
This is not the first time that the entity has made headlines this year for alleged excessive spending. Last month, it was reported that directors had allegedly paid themselves R2.6 million in “excess hours” fees.
It sparked outrage among political parties, but the department of water and sanitation defended these payments.
“Board members are paid a fixed board fee (equal to 16 hours a month) to compensate them for time spent on preparation for meetings, research and other official activities of the water board.
“There are standard board meetings, which normally take place every two months, as well as extraordinary board meetings to deal with specific issues as they arise. Each board meeting is typically preceded by subcommittee meetings,” department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa told The Mercury.
Taps running dry
While money is pouring out of the entity, communities in the province often have dry taps.
In March, a debt dispute led to uMngeni-uThukela Water reducing water supply to King Cetshwayo district municipality in northern KZN. Residents in uMfolozi, uMhlathuze, uMlalazi, Mthonjaneni and Nkandla had water cuts.
