Thembelihle municipality’s mayor Danny Jonas has laid criminal charges against two former senior municipal employees who are allegedly involved in corruption totalling R90m.

The charges were laid at the Kimberley police station on Monday. Jonas said the charges were recommended by the Special Audit Services from the national Treasury after an investigation revealed that two former senior officials, whose names are known to The New Age, allegedly plunged the municipality into “irregular, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure totalling R69m”.

The charges also include a R37m project which was awarded to a company which is close to the duo. Thembelihle municipality is situated on the eastern part of the Northern Cape and it comprises towns such as Orania, Renosterburg and Hopetown.

He said the two former officials were allegedly involved in a lot of financial irregularities and misconduct which still reflected badly on the municipality’s audit outcomes.

“We requested the investigation from the Treasury to establish the liability of the former municipal employees and to determine what the best way forward would be. We are now implementing the recommendations from the treasury in this regard.”

He said they were advised that criminal charges must be brought against both former employees for their involvement in the tender process.

“We have also been advised to recoup R107853 from them after they illegally claimed for accrued leave. This was deemed an invalid claim.”

DA MPL Karen de Kock said they were confident that the Thembelihle municipality was setting a good example to other municipalities. “Financial management has a direct impact on service delivery. It is our duty towards ratepayers to ensure that all public funds are spent in a way that maximises service delivery.”
Source: http://www.thenewage.co.za