Investigate “dirty tricks” smear campaign by top ELM officials – GTCoC
"The excuse given for the cancellation of the third meeting - stolen or misplaced recording microphones - was “highly suspicious” and could not be taken seriously," says Business Chamber
By Craig Kotze
An independent investigation should be launched into the “dirty tricks” smear campaign of top ELM officials seeking to escape accountability for gross dereliction of duty and huge irregular expenditure, organised business has urged.
The call was made by Klippies Kritzinger, CEO of the Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC), after the cancellation last Friday of a third special council meeting to address massive corruption reports and relevant action plans.
The excuse given for the cancellation of the third meeting – stolen or misplaced recording microphones – was “highly suspicious” and could not be taken seriously, said Kritzinger.
“Holding top officials to account for mismanagement and gross dereliction of duty is core to turning ELM around. No plan is going to work or be implementable without this fundamental governance principle being applied regardless of seniority of those involved,” said Kritzinger.
Unless this was seen to be done, the political landscape could change dramatically for the ruling ANC in the next local government elections, Kritzinger added.
Council Speaker Maipato Tsokolibane has denied that political manipulation and protecting senior officials from scrutiny are behind her decision to cancel a third special council sitting in a row despite massive governance issues exposed by a corruption report and the ongoing smart meter crisis.
But informed sources said it was “inexplicable” why Tsokolibane had not ensured or taken steps well before to ensure all arrangements for the planned meeting had been taken.
The Speaker also refused to clarify conflicting reports for cancellation after a subsequent comment to Mooivaal Media that she could not hold a meeting without “reports”.
The previous meeting was cancelled by Tsokolibane on “volatile” security grounds but political sources questioned how the security of such an important meeting could not be guaranteed despite ELM spending millions on security.
A Mooivaal Media investigation has revealed evidence of such a campaign designed to smear and de-legitimise critics and delay or stop accountability by top officials on the huge R900 million Comperio forensics report and the smart meter debacle which has cost ELM more than R40 million.
Kritzinger has now also requested an urgent meeting with Executive Mayor Gift Moerane to discuss “disturbing developments” and reports of a “dirty tricks” campaign by top officials targeting business, the media and uncaptured officials within ELM itself.
Hopes that Council would act decisively to hold former acting Municipal Manager Dithaba Oupa Nkoane to account on both the Comperio forensics report into irregular contracts and the ongoing smart meter crisis were dashed after Tsokolibane’s cancellation.
Last week’s cancellation also prevented Mayor Moerane from reporting to Council as required by Law on corruption and proposed action.
