Endumeni municipality sitting on damning report alleging corruption

The IFP leadership in Endumeni local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is sitting on a damning report on the findings of a forensic investigation which implicates councillors, officials and a municipal manager in fraud, corruption and maladministration relating to the awarding of a multimillion-rand security tender.

The fraud relates to the controversial awarding of a security tender to FBL security company from Newcastle, relying on sections of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act. The law allows municipalities to appoint companies without following proper bidding processes on the basis that the appointment is urgent.

SowetanLIVE’s sister publication, TimesLIVE, is in possession of the findings of the report which was first issued in April last year. For more than a year, the trouble-torn Endumeni municipality has not yet acted against those implicated.

The report was released when Bongi Sithole-Moloi was still the KwaZulu-Natal Cogta MEC. The province now has a new MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi.

On March 7, Buthelezi gave the Endumeni council 21 days to act against those implicated but nothing happened.

The findings revealed that the appointment of FBL was irregular and recommended that those implicated be hauled over the coals.

Buthelezi said his department has received a sworn affidavit with annexures that was compiled by a whistle-blower outlining allegations of fraud, corruption and maladministration which occurred in Endumeni in respect of the appointment of FBL which rendered protection services.

“The investigation has been concluded and a final report has been prepared with recommendations as to the corrective actions that are deemed necessary. There is an obligation on the council to implement necessary measures,” said Buthelezi.

The findings also established that there was a corrupt relationship between Endumeni officials and FBL. The former municipal manager, Linda Hlongwane, who is also implicated in the report, is quoted as saying he was under pressure to appoint the company that has a relationship with politicians.

The auditor-general also stated that payments made to FBL were irregular expenditure.