Publications
Partners
An executive mayor stunned his ANC comrades in the North West when it emerged that he allegedly directly started dishing out contracts a mere five months into the job.
City Press has seen six sworn statements by contractors who have alleged that they were directly issued contracts by the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality at the behest of the executive mayor, Khumalo Molefe.
Molefe was deployed by the ANC to his position in November last year.
READ: Politicians are behind my arrest – former municipal manager
It is alleged in the sworn statements that during a business forum meeting in Deelpan in April, Molefe issued instructions to two officials from his office - who were present at the meeting - to share the "needs" of the municipality with local contractors, strictly.
According to the whistleblower statements, contracts were then subsequently issued to different companies, which then invoiced the mayor’s office directly for payment. These invoices formed part of the documents shown to City Press.
Molefe had not only flatly denied the allegations of fraud and corruption levelled against him, but also said he was never at the venue of the gathering between the Deelpan Business Forum and local tribal chiefs.
READ: Onkgopotse JJ Tabane | Who will lead the country after 2024?
This is despite over six contractors who, at the meeting, confessed to being in the meeting with Molefe on April 22.
Instead, the executive mayor insisted that the only time he ever set foot in Deelpan was to meet with the Deelpan disaster management team.
Molefe is accused of contravening Section 117 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, which prohibits political interference in government procurement processes.
He said:
“My involvement in Deelpan was to intervene in the devastating flood disaster as directed by the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 as amended, and I deny ever taking decision (sic) to directly or indirectly take charge of the business interests of Deelpan Business Forum or any other individual or body for that matter.”
Molefe said no criminal charges levelled against him had been brought to his attention regarding the fraud and corruption allegations.
He added:
City Press can, however, reveal that the Hawks at various levels are looking into several allegations of fraud, corruption, bribery, embezzlement and racketeering across the province and including in tribal councils.
A senior Hawks official said they had been tipped off about the allegations and added that as far as they saw it, the information before them pointed to a “bigger problem than what is in front of us”.
“Let’s just say it never ends,” said the official.
Some senior ANC sources in the province reacted with shock to the “incredible speed” with which Molefe allegedly moved in “dispensing wealth”.
A senior leader in the provincial executive said:
The ANC said they viewed the allegations levelled against Molefe in a serious light and that the party was waiting for a detailed report from the party caucus in council.
“The ANC believes in good governance and ethical practices, and, therefore, frowns at any incident of malfeasance and will do everything in its power to ensure that there is law and order in municipalities. Once the report reaches the ANC, a detailed response will be shared in this regard,” said ANC North West provincial spokesperson Tumelo Maruping.
