Disciplinary steps, which are within the ambit of the law, are continuing following an audit report that fingered two Endumeni councillors and 27 municipal officials in electricity theft.

Mayor S’duduzo Mdluli was speaking to the Courier in his first interview of the year, where he gave an update on the crippling rate of electricity theft, service delivery challenges and the need for all residents to join in Council’s endeavours to clean up the municipal area.

It was in the last Council meeting of 2020 that the audit report on electricity meters in the town revealed that two councillors and officials, living in both Dundee and Glencoe, were implicated in tampering.

Electricity theft accounts for about R27 million a year and Mayor Mdluli has often referred to it as the ‘evil that is severely denting our ability to deliver effective services’.

“A decision was taken for the municipality to do the audit ‘in house’ rather than outsource, as was previously done at a substantial cost.

Our first step was to ensure that our own house is clean, hence the audit on all employees and councillors.”

The Endumeni Residents’ Association recently challenged Council to ‘name and shame’ those implicated by Mayor Mdluli, who said that the ‘correct steps, in terms of the Code of Conduct, are already in motion’.

“The Speaker is addressing the issue of two councillors and this process is almost complete. The accused must be given a chance to present their case too and the MEC will be informed of the outcome.

The municipal manager is investigating the cases against the officials in terms of the Labour Relations Act. Natural justice will take its course.

They will either be found guilty or not, and a decision taken. We have certainly been transparent about the process.”