Dubious Officials Hired by the State Elsewhere

25 August, 2011

KENNY LELUMA , former municipal manager of Maluti a Phofung, in Harrismith, the Free State, resigned in 2003 midway through his disciplinary hearing. He was charged with misrepresenting his qualifications. Media reports said the college from which he claimed to have obtained a law diploma could not be traced.

In 2009, Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka deployed Leluma to Ventersdorp municipality, North West. But he left under a cloud last year after allegations that his poor management had exposed the municipality to a R43-million claim.

He was also accused of having paid about R400000 to a "task team" including former colleagues from Bitou municipality, in Plettenberg Bay, for a report on the state of the council that was not delivered.

Leluma, now the adviser to the mayor of Bitou, refused to comment.

•  MOJALEFA MATLOLEwas axed as manager of Bloemfontein's Mangaung municipality after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of fraud, theft and corruption involving tenders worth R130-million.

Then, in 2009, he was appointed by then North West premier Maureen Modiselle as manager of the Ngaka Modiri Molema municipality on a salary of R1.4-million a year.

Last year, he was accused of paying a recruitment agency about R230000 to find a municipal manager, a job he later accepted. His contract expired after the local government elections in May and was not renewed.

Matlole disputed that he was fired from Mangaung, saying: "I left with an agreement in my hand and I was paid handsomely."

• GEORGE MTHIMUNYE, a former manager of Dr JS Moroka municipality, in Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga, was suspended and later resigned after being charged with sexual harassment and unauthorised or fruitless expenditure. He settled out of court with the municipality and The Times understands that he walked away with a R5-million golden handshake.

Last year, Shiceka sent him to "stabilise things" at Naledi municipality, in Vryburg, North West, but he was suspended early this year amid allegations that he had inflated a municipal traffic department tender by almost R200000. The SA Municipal Workers' Union claims he awarded a tender of more than R200000 without following procedure. His contract was not renewed.

Mthimunye did not respond to messages left on his phone.

• POGISO MAITSHOTLO was suspended and then fired by the department of health in North West after allegations that he stole baby formula milk and sold it to tuck shops.

He is now the speaker of the Ditsobotla municipal council in Lichtenberg. A criminal case against him is pending.
Maitshotlo did not respond to requests for comment.

• MARTIN SEBAKWANE was head of the North West transport department from 2000 to 2005, during which time the company Tswaing Consulting CC was awarded a tender to repair roads. A court later ruled that Tswaing had received the tender fraudulently, with the help of Sebakwane and his chief financial officer.

In 2009, Sebakwane became adviser to then Mafikeng mayor Mosa Sejosingoe, whom the ANC recalled in March. Sebakwane's contract was to have ended with the mayor's departure, but a report by the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance in September showed that he was still receiving a monthly salary of more than R38000 at the time.
Sebakwane said this week that he had been sentenced in absentia. "The justice system has gone awry. I was not the subject of the case."
He has now applied for the post of head of the North West Public Service Commission.

• CHARLES NDABENI, the former North West Tourism and Parks Board CEO, left under a cloud in 2008 amid allegations that business associates and companies linked to him benefited by nearly R9-million from contracts awarded by the board.

He then joined the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, which fired him this week. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union accused him of corruption and mismanagement of funds. Ndabeni reportedly earned R1.4-million a year and claimed about R370000 in travel allowances.
He did not respond to requests for comment.

• MWELI MATANZIMA was suspended by the North West Department of Education in 2009 after being charged with fraud and corruption. He challenged his suspension in the Labour Court and won, but the department refused to reinstate him and he resigned last year.

Shortly thereafter he was appointed by Basic Education Minster Angie Motshekga to help administer the Eastern Cape education department.
Matanzima did not respond to requests for comment.

• DAKOTA LEGOETE was suspended by the Tswaing local municipality, in Sannieshof, North West, in 2009 after allegations of fraud and corruption but is challenging his suspension in court.

The ANC appointed him this year as a Tlokwe, Potchefstroom, municipal councillor.
Legoete said he had not been found guilty of any wrongdoing and so was eligible to stand as a councillor.

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