Secret plot to get rid of Makhado mayor?

Does a secret plan exist to get rid of Makhado’s mayor, Shonisani Sinyosi, along with the municipal manager, Freddy Tshivhenga? This is certainly the opinion of some members high up in the ANC’s regional executive committee.

The Makhado Municipality’s former acting municipal manager, Johannes Kanwendo, was placed on suspension last month in connection with the VBS scandal. Prior to that, the ANC’s integrity commission recommended that all its members implicated in the looting of the bank should step aside while the investigations were continuing.

In December last year, Freddy Tshivhengwa was appointed as municipal manager (MM). His appointment followed a prolonged period of uncertainty, after Sakkie Mutshinyali was suspended. Mutshinyali vacated his office at the end of 2016, when the situation apparently became unbearable. He later argued that he was the victim of a campaign by the newly appointed mayor to get rid of him. The first investments at VBS were done during Mutshinyali’s time as MM.

Before Tshivhengwa’s appointment, different officials acted as MM. On 17 October 2017, Chris Kharidzha was listed, but for most of 2017, Johannes Kanwendo’s name appeared next to the title of acting MM. When Tshivhenga was appointed, the investments at VBS had already been done.

A “concerned” member of the ANC’s regional executive committee alleged this week that the ANC’s regional secretary in Vhembe, Adv Anderson Mudunungu, was pressurising the council to suspend Tshivhenga and mayor Sinyosi too. Allegedly, Mudunungu is pushing for the current director of community services, Chris Kharidzha, to be appointed as MM and Speaker Lindiwe Mohale to be the new mayor.

The allegations were denied by Adv Mudunungu, who said that his organisation pursued good governance within the municipality. He said that the officials implicated in the VBS scandal must be dealt with by a disciplinary committee. He did not have the power to hire or dismiss officials, he said.

Date:23 November 2018

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Read: 1451