Picture: The Greater Taung Local Municipality mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe
By OBAKENG MAJE
The ANC in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region said, it has established a committee to investigate, if the disgraced Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe is fit to hold office. This comes after a string of leaked audios depicting Gaoraelwe’s voice, where he confessed that he was allegedly drunk during the accident and also solicited money from two contractors.
On 3 October 2022, Gaoraelwe crashed the municipal luxurious BMX X3 worth R700 000 in an accident between Schweizer Reneke and Wolmaranstad.
“You do not have phones with you and you are not recording? In the issue of the accident, this is what happened. I was travelling with my ex-wife and two children. Benz, my children are 3 and 2 respectively.
“So, our divorce settlement is that, I’ll see my children every month. So, it is normal, when she is around, I see my children. If she is not around, when I go to my current partner, I leave her and go to see my children in Pretoria and that’s the tradition,” he said.
He further said at the time, his ex-wife, Sindisiwe Nkonyana’s mother had an emergency and he had to rush her back to Pretoria.
“So, after the accident happened, the first person I called was Katlego Gabanakgosi the person I trusted. The police who arrived at the accident scene found me in the car. I was drunk, but the police had no reason to believe that I was drunk.
“I was able to speak properly and it was the same as now. So, he cleared (cleaned up) the scene. Have you seen somebody clearing the scene? He cleared everything and he said, my man….” Gaoraelwe said.
He also confessed that, he allegedly solicited bribery from two contractors and also wanted the beleaguered Director of Cooperative Services at the municipality, Dikagiso Mokoma to become the acting Municipal Manager because he is going to benefit from that.
In an exclusive interview with Taung DailyNews, Gaoraelwe vehemently denied that, it is his voice depicted in those audios.
Now, ANC regional secretary, Walter Mabogola said the constitutional obligation of the committee is to verify the authenticity of those audios and determine if Gaoraelwe acted in an ethical manner.
“It is true that, we have already appointed an investigative team regarding that matter. What is left now, is to give them guidelines and a time frame. That means, we will prioritise this matter starting this week,” he said.
Meanwhile, CONTRALESA regional secretary in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region, Thato Mampane said: “What is happening at the municipality regarding the appointment of Municipal Manager is intentional. We cannot go back and forth in putting different people in acting roles without appointing the Municipal Manager.
“You will recall that, there were recordings of Gaoraelwe circulating on social media declaring that, he would want Mokoma to become the Municipal Manager because he will personally benefit. So, we believe that he wants Mokoma to become the Municipal Manager at the ultimate end.”
Mampane said this agenda is driven by a former ANCYL president. He said the acting Municipal Manager does not have any powers and on the other hand, the municipality is wasting taxpayers’ money on court cases.
The Guardian 