Picture: Tlokwe municipal mayor Kgotso Khumalo

TLOKWE municipality executive mayor Kgotso Khumalo condemned the DA’s allegations that the council continued to take decisions without proper consultations.

The DA claimed that they laid criminal charges against Tlokwe municipal manager, Dr Nomathemba Blaai-Mokgethi.

DA councillor, Hans-Jurie Moolman alleged that they have laid a fraud and corruption charges against Blaai-Mokgethi.

However Tlokwe municipality spokesperson, Victor Boqo said it was very strange that DA claimed to open a fraud and corruption case against the municipal manager without a case number.

“DA went to the police after they lost the case in the High Court with costs. We regard this as cheap politicking by DA. We are electioneering and they seek media attention. It is not clear from the DA’s statement what is criminal by appointing lawyers on behalf of councillors who were cited in the court papers.

“They were there in their capacity as municipal councillors, speaker and the executive mayor. They were not there in their personal capacities. The Mazabane Attorneys and Associates are on the panel lists of attorneys. The employment decisions of the lawyers were approved by the council back in 2014,” Boqo said.

He added that the DA was part of the council resolution meeting during the decision making process.

“All what they want is power. They must go and read their council documents and stop misleading the public. There was nothing wrong done by municipal manager as she executed her duties with distinctions. She defended Tlokwe municipality against power mongers like DA,” he said.

DA took Tlokwe municipality council to court after they alleged that the speaker refused to convene a meeting.

Moolman said they have a strong criminal case against Tlokwe municipal manager, Dr Nomathemba Blaai-Mokgethi.

“Democratic Alliance in Tlokwe laid criminal charges against the municipal manager and accounting officer at Potchefstroom Police Station. We do believe that police will investigate the fraud, corruption and contraventions of the local government: Municipal Finance Management Act charges in respect of the abuse of public and incurred solely to the benefit and furthering the political interests of the ANC.

“This latest abuse of public funds was to promote political goals. Barei Mosiane Segotso refused to convene a council meeting or entertain motions for her removal and the removal of the executive mayor, Kgotso Khumalo,” he said.

Moolman added that this caused them to approach the High Court to compel Segotso to comply and to adhere to a request of the majority of councillors in order to table the motions of no confidence.

“Legal representation was appointed by the municipal manager to act on behalf of the council at the public’s expense. There was no council resolution on this and the lawyers weren’t appointed by the approved panel of attorney. Even more alarming is that the illegally appointed law firm was also appointed and briefed by council to act only on behalf of ANC councillors,” Moolman said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

taungdailynews@gmail.com