The rogue municipal manager would allegedly strike deals with corrupt tenderprenuers for the final end of self-benefit.
Newly appointed eMalahleni municipal CFO Zwelisha Theron Shongwe is faced with difficult charges of fraud and breaching laws governing the public finance management act after he allegedly donated a government water reservoir to a businessman.
013NEWS knows the name of the businessman, who allegedly bought the Ermelo water reservoir for over R400 000 and then rented it back to the Msukaligwa municipality for R800 000 per month.
The Hawks said this occured in 2014 and then moving forward to 2018 it was run as a pretty corrupt scheme, sharing money for the benefit of “a private person without considering the essential benefits towards the community”.
He is charged together with Thusi Kubheka, a 65-year-old veteran of the ANC in Ermelo after whom the Thusi Township in the area was named, as well as 51-year-old Mmabatho Matsheka who formerly served as municipal executive.
“During the investigation it was established that the correct procurement processes were not followed,” Hawks spokeswoman Dineo Sekgotodi said.
READ: Democracy Zwane owed R70m in dodgy Ermelo government deal
Shongwe has served as municipal manager for Msukaligwa and Govan Mbeki and was due to begin working as CFO for eMalahleni municipality – one of South Africa’s most badly run and corrupt municipalities – on 1 Sept 2022.
In an auditor-general report, Msukalikwa, Govan Mbeki and eMalahleni were amongst the municipalities that countrywide contributed to the most to fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
The EFF in Mpumalanga has released a statement and welcomed Shongwe’s arrest.
It’s not clear if he will be suspended as eMalahleni CFO however the municipality says his appointment has been currently been put on hold.
“Council has resolved to hold the appointment in abeyance as it deals with some administrative issues,” municipal manager Sizwe Mayisela said Wednesday this week
The trio briefly appeared at the Ermelo Magistrates Court, all of them have been released on R5000 bail.
(edited by MLM)
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