by 013NEWS Reporter | Oct 16, 2018 | Politics
The EFF in the Mpumalanga province has written to Premier Refilwe Mtshweni to have sports MEC Thandi Shongwe recalled while the DA has written to Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate allegations that Shongwe received a R1.5 million “bribe” for the procurement of the Nelson Mandela statue.
In their memorandum to Mtshweni, the EFF’s Collen Sedibe says the former speaker’s conduct “compromises the principle and standards of good governance, corrupt free, open and transparent government”.
“Pursuant to the number of fraud and corruption cases laid against honourable BT Shongwe during her tenure as the speaker of the provincial legislature and the recent proven allegation of abuse of office as an MEC and misuse of the state cell phone to an amount of more than R60 000 a month, the EFF hereby request the honourable Premier [Ms] RM Mtsweni to recall Mrs BT Shongwe as the MEC for Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture with immediate effect,” Sedibe writes.
ALSO RELATED: ‘Scopa is useless – reason we went to police’ – Sedibe
The DA’s Jane Sithole says they have written to Mkhwebane to ask her to investigate allegations that Shongwe “pocketed a R1.5 million bribe during the procurement of the Mandela statue”.
ALSO SEE: Auditor-General to investigate R8.3 million Mandela statue
“During a recent sitting of the Mpumalanga provincial legislature, MEC Shongwe couldn’t admit or deny that she accepted a bribe but chose to rather try and embarrass other members of the Legislature instead of answering the question.
“MEC Shongwe is no stranger to controversy related to hyper-inflated tenders as she has been linked to multiple inflated tenders during her time as speaker of the provincial legislature,” Sithole said in a statement.
Shongwe’s spokeswoman Sibongile Nkosi didn’t answer her phone on Tuesday morning.
Sithole in a statement said Shongwe used to “enjoy the perks of [then Premier DD] Mabuza’s protection”.
“The Public Protector must do a full investigation into MEC Shongwe so that she can pay back any money gained from corruption. We will continue to monitor this situation in our effort to build One South Africa For All,” she said.
(edited by ZK)
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by 013NEWS Reporter | Oct 1, 2018 | Local News
The provincial government is accused of using the late struggle icon’s name to do “dubious financial dealings”.
The Democratic Alliance in the Mpumalanga province is rushing to the office of the Auditor to ask him to investigate how R 8.3 million was used in the procurement of a bronze statue of former President Nelson Mandela.
The statue was erected outside the Riverside government complex.
Premier Refilwe Mtshweni and arts and culture MEC Thandi Shongwe unveiled the 6 meter high statue of Mandela.
“One of the rejected bids would have costed a total of R 2.7 million but the provincial department of culture sports and recreation ultimately chose a company that charged over three times that amount,” DA leader Jane Sithole said in a statement.
“Culture, sports and recreation MEC, Thandi Shongwe, is no stranger to controversy related to hyper-inflated tenders as she has been linked to multiple inflated tenders during her time as speaker of the provincial legislature,” said Sithole.
She said the reason they have now asked the Auditor-General to investigate the tender matter which caused an outcry in the province was the “ANC’s tendency to use Nelson Mandela’s name and memory as a disguise for dubious financial dealings such as the R 70 million given to Carol Bouwer’s Company for Nelson Mandela’s memorial services along with R 5 million for a Nelson Mandela video commissioned by the Office of the Premier that has never seen the light of day”.
“The people of Mpumalanga continue to be burdened with rising unemployment, inadequate healthcare facilities and poor service delivery that have ensured that thousands of people remain in the clutches of poverty. All of this, while the provincial government chooses to protect corruption and divert public money to projects that will not benefit the people of this province,” she said, adding that they were writing to the AG to ensure public money was not abused.
EFF leader Collen Sedibe said he estimated the statue cost close to R 20 million and wondered how much Shongwe “pocketed”.
“If the statue itself is R 8.3 million and with the ceremony where they hired tents, catering and bought ANC T-shirts, we are talking of R 20 million,” Sedibe said.
“We can’t have Mandela statues everywhere when our people are deep in poverty,” he said.
Mtshweni said the unveiling of the statue was important as it will show the future generation the role Madiba played in liberating South Africa.
“This is a way to thank and show how Mandela played a part in our liberation as a country,” she said.
Meanwhile, Facebook users said the statue didn’t look like Mandela.
(edited by NN)
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by 013NEWS Reporter | Aug 24, 2018 | News
They want her to answer for fraud and corruption that occured while she was in charge.
The EFF says they decided to approach the cops and not the Select Committee of Public Account to lay charges against former legislature speaker Thandi Shongwe because this committee “doesn’t have teeth”.
“Instead it protects and covers up departments and corrupt officials, so to raise the matter with the Scopa is not going to make sense. The cops are better,” spokesman Collen Sedibe said.
“It is tantamount to reporting a crime to the very same criminal and expect the criminal to arrest, charge and sentence themselves,” he said.
Case number 6/8/2018 is registered with the police in Mbombela against Shongwe, legislature secretary Linda Mwale and finance officer Mbuso Mpika.
The EFF case is based on the findings of the Auditor-General concerning a R9,9 million tender and another, worth R19,6 million.
The R9,9 million was for the supply of photocopiers to the Mpumalanga legislature for a period of three years but the Auditor-General found that despite being disqualified during the bidding process for not having tax clearance certificate the officials quietly awarded the Junox 210 CC the tender.
ALSO RELATED: Thandi Shongwe’s state Merc had ‘minor damages’
Frugacode CC was awarded the R19,6 million tender for security and data integrity, City Press reported, and the Auditor-General found that this company was not really supposed to get the tender because it used a SAP accreditation that was not registered under its name.
Police spokesman Colonel Mtsholi Bhembe confirmed the case against Shongwe, Mwale and Mpika had in fact been opened and was opened this month. He said they are busy looking at it.
Sedibe said: “The case was opened against Thandi Shongwe because she was an executive authority at the time of the fraud and corruption, meaning she should have acted against the secretary of the legislature who was reporting to her directly. Moreover, the Auditor-General also mentioned her in the investigation report.
“The EFF is very clear in its founding manifesto and on non-negotiable pillar number 7 that we want a corrupt-free government that is open, transparent and accountable to the people without fear or favour,” he said.
The legislature said they will allow the cops to do their work since the matter is not with Scopa.
(edited by MLM)
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by 013NEWS Reporter | Aug 9, 2018 | Local News
The theme is: “100 Years of Albertina Sisulu… Woman of Fortitude. Women United In Moving South Africa Forward”.
The Women’s Month celebration at the Kwaggafontein stadium this Saturday will begin with a Healthy Walk before Premier Refilwe Mtsweni addresses the gathering.
She will lead the walk together with arts and culture MEC Thandi Shongwe and Kwaggafontein mayor Nomsa Mtsweni.
Mstweni’s keynote address is expected to touch on the issue of gender-based violence and ways to fight the scourge.
She will also highlight ways of bringing about women economic empowerment in the province as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle.
The theme is ‘100 Years of Albertina Sisulu: Woman of Fortitude. Women United In Moving South Africa Forward’.
Arts and culture spokeswoman Sibongile Nkosi said later Refilwe, Nomsa, Shongwe and other MECs will hand over “social relief items”, which will include furnished houses.
“Our aim as a government is to impact the lives of women from all walks of life through a variety of programmes,” Nkosi said.
“It will not only commemorate, celebrate and connect women with the stories of their past but will also open up opportunities for a better future, advancing their course towards socio-economic empowerment,” she said.
The platform will be used to condemn the recent spate of violence against women, Nkosi added.
“The Premier will deliver a keynote address, while Zahara, Bathabile and local artists will provide entertainment,” she said.
(edited by ZK)
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by 013NEWS Reporter | Mar 21, 2018 | Politics
Mtsweni began announcing a realignment of her cabinet soon after being elected the new Premier of Mpumalanga.
Mpumalanga legislature speaker Thandi Shongwe is now an MEC…
Shongwe became an MEC on Tuesday (20 Mar) this week following the election of Refilwe Mtsweni as the new Premier of Mpumalanga.
Violet Siwela, who was deputy speaker, will now become the new speaker of the Mpumalanga legislature.
Shongwe was announced the MEC of Sports and Recreation, taking over Norah Mahlangu who became the Human Settlements MEC.
New Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni. PIC Lowvelder.
Norah Mahlangu. PIC MfisoDIGITAL/MLM.
Mtsweni moved Speedy Mashilo, who was Human Settlements MEC to the Department ofCooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
New Mpumalanga cabinet.
Pat Ngomane will remain the Safety and Security MEC as well as Vusi Shongwe as Agriculture MEC, Sasekani Manzini Public Works, Roads and Transport, Busi Shiba Social Development and Gillon Mashego as the Health MEC.
Sibusiso Malaza was announced the new Education MEC, taking over from Reginah Mhaule who was announced as the Deputy Minister of International Relations during a cabinet reshuffle by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 26 February 2018.
Mtsweni was the MEC of Cooperative Governance and took over the reigns in February 2018 as the acting Premier when then Premier David Mabuza got appointed as the new deputy president of the Republic of South Africa.
In her speech as the newly elected Premier on Tuesday, Mtsweni promised to do all she can in making the lives of the people of Mpumalanga better.
“To the people of Mpumalanga I commit myself and my colleagues in government to ethical behaviour and ethical leadership. In the spirit of a united and democratic Republic as envisaged by the Constitution, I am committing myself to working with all political parties to ensure that we make our Province a better place for all,” she said.
“To young people who may have lost hope, I say we are not going to stand aside while they live aimless lives we will give them hope and the sense of purpose that comes with new training opportunities in order to ensure their personal and professional development, so that they too can take pride in being upstanding members of the society.
“To the women who live in rural villages in the far flung areas of this Province and those who live in the townships and urban areas, I say to you your government has heard your cries we will, together, bring real change to your lives,” Mtsweni said.
“Real change can never be measured by what government does on its own – real change is effectively measured when everyone steers in the same direction and aligns our individual responsibilities towards the advancement of making this province work for the benefit of all of us,” she said.
(edited by MLM)
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