Yet another municipality in KwaZulu-Natal run by the ANC is under the radar of the Hawks over an allegedly overpriced road project where senior municipal officials had an interest in the company that was awarded the tender to build it.
The ongoing Hawks probe came to light on Thursday after it became public knowledge that the acting municipal manager of Umzumbe local municipality in southern KwaZulu-Natal, Mthokozisi Shangase, has been given until Friday to show cause why he should not be suspended from work pending an investigation against him.
In a letter of intention to suspend dated August 11, 2023, written by the Speaker of Council, Sbonelo Maphumulo, Shangase is accused of siding with Amahle Building and Renovation in a court battle.
The company dashed to court after it was awarded the R5,1 million tender for the Phungula access road project.
The officials awarded the tender to the company despite the fact that there was an objection, and when the matter went to court, three municipal officials did the unthinkable when they testified against their employer.
In the court battle that was before the Pietermaritzburg High Court, Shangase, using his position as the director of technical services, signed confirmatory affidavits siding with Amahle, which was suing the municipality for breach of contract after doing 90 percent of the work on the road.
It was alleged that the officials had an interest in the company, and now that has come back to haunt Shangase.
That was not the only case that has raised eyebrows in the municipality, as before that, a sum of R4,9 million was paid out for the Sunduza electrification project, and yet up to now, no work has been done.
In another scandal at Ward 1, the municipality paid R4,8 million for electrification, but no work has been done to date.
Maphumulo now wants Shangase to explain his conduct during the court battle between Amahle and the municipality.
"This letter is addressed to you by the Speaker of Municipal Council because you are currently the Acting Municipal Manager of Umzumbe and, therefore, you cannot address this correspondence to yourself in your capacity as the Director of Technical Services.
"Furthermore, this correspondence cannot be addressed by the Mayor of Umzumbe as the mayor decided to stage a walkout at the council meeting when this matter was discussed, indicating that he will not be part of it," Maphumulo said to Shangase in the letter.
In other affidavits submitted on behalf of Amahle, Shangase is alleged to have shared confidential information with the company.
"The alleged misconduct also includes allegations that you may have shared confidential information of Umzumbe with the Applicant and well as colluding with the Applicant in the matter that was filed at the High Court by the Applicant," Maphumulo alleged in the letter.
Shangase responded via Sabelo Ncwane, the spokesperson of the municipality, who said Shangase was not the municipal manager at the time the tender was awarded.
"The matter of the said tender is now a subject of investigation by the Hawks, and any comment from the municipality may compromise the investigation.
"As for the issue of intention to suspend the Acting Municipal Manager, the municipality will also not comment on it because of pending legal processes," Ncwane added.
The municipality will have a council sitting on Friday, and Shangase's matter is expected to feature on the agenda.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
IOL Politics