DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 23: The Ethekwini Youth Employment Indaba at Durban Exhibition Centre on May 23, 2019 in Durban, South Africa. The three-day event aims to provide an enabling environment for the youth of eThekwini Municipality and KwaZulu-Natal to engage with opportunities that will lead them to making informed career choices, and give them more info on employment opportunities and the support offered by various institutions for the youth. (Photo by Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)
Corruption Latest: eThekwini Municipality welcomes SIU investigation
eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has welcomed the presidential proclamation that authorises the SIU to investigate corruption in the city.
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 23: The Ethekwini Youth Employment Indaba at Durban Exhibition Centre on May 23, 2019 in Durban, South Africa. The three-day event aims to provide an enabling environment for the youth of eThekwini Municipality and KwaZulu-Natal to engage with opportunities that will lead them to making informed career choices, and give them more info on employment opportunities and the support offered by various institutions for the youth. (Photo by Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)
eThekwini Municipality has welcomed the Special Investigation Unit’s investigation into allegations of fraud and corruption within the government entities.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa issued proclamations this week authorising the SIU to investigate a slew of allegations.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said: “Our Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda is on record as saying that under his leadership our city will permanently cooperate with institutions that are responsible for rooting out fraud and corruption including the SIU because our City permanently subscribes to clean governance and will stop at nothing to nip corruption in bud.”
If the SIU is investigating us, we welcome the investigation. The city believes that each and every cent of taxpayers money must go to service delivery as opposed to other people’s pockets to the detriment of the wellbeing of our stakeholders.”
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago earlier outlined the proclamation that authorises the SIU to unleash its legislative powers to subpoena bank statement and cellphone records, search and seize evidence, and interrogate witnesses under oath in a quest to hold those responsible to account for their actions.
Proclamation R9 of 2021 authorised the SIU to investigate eThekwini Municipality. The SIU will probe allegations of maladministration regarding the affairs of the municipality as well as allegations in respect of the alienation of immovable property for the provision of housing through the municipality’s Human Settlements Infill Housing Programme that was contrary to manuals, policies or practices of the municipality.
“The investigation will also focus on the transfer or sale of vacant properties by developers appointed by the municipality for purpose of the municipality’s Human Settlements Infill Housing Programme in breach of the developers’ contractual obligations and contrary to the objectives of the municipality’s housing programme,” Kganyago said.
He said the SIU would investigate all payments made by the eThekwini Municipality – in respect of the allegations – that had not been not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable or cost effective.
“The investigations will focus on transactions that took between 12 October 2012 and 1 April 2021 or prior to October 2012 and after 1 April but relevant to, connected with people, entities or contracts that are being investigated,” he said.
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