Fraud, corruption and mismanagement helped to propel the 8% rates increase that came into effect on July 1.
Acting Municipal Manager Advocate R Brijraj told the Courier that the previous managers, under the rule of suspended Municipal Manager TP Biyela, ‘had squandered an enormous amount of money’.
“This helped to contribute to the 8% rates increase; we were hoping for 6%,” he said. He added that the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) had sent IT forensic experts to probe the municipal computer system.
This in the wake of the sending out of the infamous racist e-mail.
“We were told by Information Systems Manager Ashton Anandlal that the message was an e-mail printout which was made to look like an e-mail. This was in a document submitted during a suspension inquiry.”
The IT probe is part of the intensive ‘clean-up campaign’ at the municipality that was set in motion on April 1 to combat fraud, corruption and mismanagement.
The December assault outside the building on Adv Brijraj is also part of the investigation.
To date, the investigation has seen the suspension of three senior staff members pending a full disciplinary inquiry:
BA Mbatha (Girly) – Senior Manager: Support Services/previous Executive Manager: Corporate Services; Ashton Anandlal – Information Systems Manager; and Wellington T Ndlela – Assistant Manager: Social Development.
“The investigations are ongoing, and it would seem that more officials will have to answer for the misdemeanours they may have committed,” Adv Brijraj concluded.
