Ladysmith residents were shocked and curious after seeing the Hawks and police barging into the uThukela offices in Lyell Street on Wednesday last week (December 5) and removing officials from the building to question them.
The KZN Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has confirmed that uThukela District Municipality has been visited by the Hawks and members of the SAPS in search of documents which may assist them with ongoing investigations.
“We have been informed by our administrator deployed to uThukela District, since this municipality is currently under a provincial government intervention in terms of section 139 of the Constitution, that this activity by the Hawks has indeed taken place and that some interactions have taken place with some of the officials.
We maintain that the Hawks are a highly competent law enforcement agency and are assured of full co-operation from stakeholders in municipalities,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
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She asked that law enforcement agencies be allowed to follow their processes, and that no premature conclusion should be drawn without all due processes having been concluded.
The MEC gave her assurance that the municipality continues to function optimally by rendering services to communities as required by the Constitution.
“We have faith in all our law enforcement agencies performing their duties without fear, favour and prejudice, and we support all efforts aimed at promoting good and clean governance in all public institutions, including the private sector. We will keep watching the developments at uThukela with keen interest,” added Dube-Ncube.
uThukela communications manager Jabulani Mkhonza confirmed that police officers in plain clothes “invaded” the premises of uThukela District Municipality on Wednesday last week and took in one official for questioning. They also searched and seized some documents, and then had a closed meeting with senior management.
The official who was taken in for questioning was later released on the same day without being charged.
It is still not clear why the official was taken in. The situation seems to be calm at the municipality and it is business as usual, as all employees are reporting for duty on a daily basis.
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