Admin
03 Jul, 2019
The UDM in KwaZulu-Natal calls on the IFP to come clean on its forever lasting investigation of its uMzinyathi District Municipality Mayor
On 24 May 2019, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) exposed, in the form of recordings, the until then, widely speculated allegations of corruption of the Inkatha Freedom Party’s (IFP) uMzinyathi District Municipality Mayor. The allegations pertained to the siphoning off of funds from that municipality. In an Isolezwe newspaper article on the 3rd of June, IFP Spokesperson, Mr Mkhuleko Hlengwa, was quoted saying that the IFP was investigating the matter. On 7 June, during a live talk-show hosted by Ikhwezi FM, the mayor, who was cornered by the UDM KwaZulu-Natal Interim Provincial Secretary, admitted that the voice on the recordings was his. He therefore owned up to the content of those recordings. More allegations of corruption, where the mayor was involved, were published by the Daily Sun on 28 June. Mr Hlengwa was again quoted saying that the IFP was investigating that matter too! The IFP does not seem to be in the least concerned about these compromising claims and allegations about their deployed mayor, whom has apparently rendered the district as a total failure in the core function of providing water to this community; yet the yearly budget is committed and exhausted without any provision of what it was earmarked for. The UDM calls on the IFP to come clean about whether its mayor is siphoning off funds from this municipality’s service providers as a directive from itself or not. If not, the IFP must respect the community of the uMzinyathi district by removing their seemingly corrupt mayor with immediate effect and conclude its never-ending and ineffectual investigation into these allegations. Statement issued by Mr Boysey Gumede UDM KwaZulu-Natal Interim Provincial Secretary
Admin
24 May, 2019
Funds allegedly siphoned off from uMzinyathi district municipality service providers
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KwaZulu-Natal, is appalled at a recording we have in our possession, where the voice of the uMzinyathi district mayor is allegedly having a fishy conversation with one of the municipal executive managers. In the recording, it sounds as if the mayor instructed this official to confront the municipal manager about funds that the municipal manager had apparently siphoned off from two municipal service providers (allegedly to the tune of R1,8m and R3m respectively) but had apparently failed to pay it over to the Inkatha Freedom Party’s coffers. Even though the speaker did not mention the IFP by name, he simply referred to ‘Umtwana’, it is common cause that both the mayor and the municipal manager are IFP deployees. This kind of tapping of funds, raises a lot of questions e.g. 1. Is the awarding of municipal tenders, legitimate and above board? 2. Are these service providers’ work of compromised quality to make room for kickbacks? 3. Were the earmarked development projects started off at all? The UDM reiterates its view that corruption remains corruption even if it is not committed by the usual suspects like the alleged VBS looters, and the Bosasa and PIC scandal mongers. The UDM in KwaZulu-Natal will gladly make the recording available to the mayor and invites him to explain the content of the voice clip. Issued by Mr Boysey Gumede Interim Provincial Secretary UDM in KwaZulu-Natal
