Manager accused of theft gets bonus
2012-12-19 11:30
Mbombela - The manager of the Ehlanzeni district
municipality received a R140 000 performance bonus, despite the public protector
finding he should be charged with theft.
"For three consecutive years the municipal manager
received clean audits, council gave the bonus based on that," the
municipality's spokesperson Lucky Ngomane said on Wednesday.
He was responding to a report in Beeld that Hugh Mbatha
received a "productivity bonus" despite a recommendation by Public Protector Thuli
Madonsela two weeks ago that criminal charges be laid against
him for theft.
Ngomane said the council took a decision at last week's
meeting to give Mbatha a bonus.
"And this was a closed session. I don't know how Beeld
got that information."
He said Madonsela's report was forwarded to the municipal public
accounts committee for advice.
"As far as I know there are no criminal charges. If
there are allegations, allegations are going to be allegations until they are
proven otherwise," Ngomane said.
Study tour
Madonsela found Mbatha had allegedly stolen R120 000 from the
municipality. This was the amount of money left over after Mbatha, three
council members, and two other municipal officials went on a study tour to
Italy in 2008.
Madonsela found that during the tour Mbatha ordered the
municipality to transfer R165 000 into the credit card account of one of the
travelling officials, apparently because the group "did not like the
Italian food".
After they returned, the remaining R120 000 was allegedly
withdrawn from the account, and Mbatha allegedly gave R20 000 to each member of
the group.
The recipients were reportedly Mbatha, previous mayor
Constance Mkhonto, current mayor Letta Shongwe, former council member Jimmy
Sithole, former community services manager Ernest Moukangwe, and deputy
international relations manager Roy Makwakwa.
- SAPA
