The Thulamela Municipality denied this week that the municipal manager, Hlengani Maluleke, has any influence over the disciplinary processes instituted to investigate his role in the VBS scandal. The municipality also put it on record that Maluleke will remain in his position, pending the finalisation of the process.
Last week, the Thulamela sub-region of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) threatened with mass action, should the Thulamela municipal manager not be removed. The structure believes he should be axed for his involvement in the VBS saga and that he is simply hanging around, hoping to get a "golden handshake".
In July, Thulamela mayor Mushoni Tshifhango was axed, following an instruction by the provincial executive committee (PEC) of the ANC in Limpopo. This was in line with a forensic report on the VBS matter that recommended action against all politicians and officials involved in the scandal. The report also fingered Thulamela's Maluleke. The report did indicate that political pressure had been exerted on officials to invest with VBS bank.
Thulamela Municipality is one of the few Limpopo-based municipalities that did not lose money when the scams at the bank were exposed. Thulamela withdrew their investment and managed to collect interest of just over R682 000.
Municipal spokesperson Mr Nndwamato Tshiila said on Tuesday that people needed to understand that politicians and officials could not be treated in the same manner in disciplinary issues. The mayor, as a political appointment, was removed by the council out of his position. "It must be noted that the former mayor is still a councillor of Thulamela Local Municipality in good standing," he said.
Tshiila explained that the council had had a meeting to consider the corrective measures proposed by the Treasury as contained in the forensic report. "Council did not resolve to suspend the municipal manager pending disciplinary processes and this was done in line with the legal opinion that was sought by the council," he said.
"Corrective measures … cannot be implemented equally due to the fact that the code of conduct for councillors is different from the disciplinary code of (the) local government disciplinary regulations for senior managers," he said.
The local ANCYL branch made several accusations last week, among them that Maluleke, by virtue of his not vacating his office, was influencing the investigation. The branch also alleged that Maluleke had appointed the chairperson of the disciplinary committee.
"We wish to dispute that the municipal manager was part of the special council that appointed the chairperson of the disciplinary committee, so the allegation that he appointed the chairperson cannot be correct. It is also not the role of the municipal manager to pay the disciplinary committee members since there are relevant departments which deal with the labour issues and payments," said Tshiila.
One of the demands made by the ANCYL was that the municipality repay the interest collected from the VBS investment. The young politicians felt that this money was tainted and should be returned to help compensate the victims of the fraud committed at the bank.
Tshiila answered that the forensic report did not indicate that interest earned on investments should be paid back to VBS. He again stressed that the Thulamela Council did not do any investigation. It is merely implementing the recommendations as contained in the forensic report.
In a telephonic interview Tshiila said that they are currently waiting for a report of the chairperson of the disciplinary committee. He was confident that this will happen soon, but did not want to commit to a date.
The convenor of the ANCYL's Thulamela Sub-region, Mukhethwa Mulovhedzi, this week continued criticizing the Thulamela Municipality for the manner in which they are handling the matter. He described the process as a "kangaroo meeting", with a pre-determined outcome.
"We know of the directives that are given to Tshiwadalani Nengwekhulu Attorneys to deal with the matter of negotiations with the municipal manager," Mulovhedzi said. The ANCYL structure believes that Maluleke will only receive a written warning as a remedial action.
According to Mulovhedzi the issue of the repayment of the VBS interest is important. He said this money was obtained in a wrongful manner and must be returned "to our grannies."
"Thulamela municipality is the biggest in Limpopo and the third biggest in SA. We can't have a municipal manager who fails to protect our public purse," said Mulovhedzi.
The local ANCYL branch is organising a protest march on 10 August. It will start at the parking area next to the municipality and they plan on handing over a memorandum of grievances. "We call upon SANCO, the Pastor's Forum, Youth Against Crime, Business Forum and football clubs to join us," he said.