Samwu Musina wants municipal manager to be investigated

The Musina branch of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) is accusing the town's municipal manager, Mr Johnson Matshivha of fraud, nepotism and corruption.

The members marched from the Musina Nancfield hall to the municipal offices, displaying banners accusing Matshivha and they presented a memorandum to the mayor of the border town, Cllr Mihloti Ramoyada.

Samwu’s main grievances, as contained in the memorandum, centre around allegations of corruption and nepotism, as well as unhappiness over the municipality’s privatisation of several services. One also accuses Matshivha of illegally awarding tenders.

Samwu demands the immediate suspension of Matshivha, as well as other high-ranking municipal officials allegedly involved in the awarding of the tenders to their friends and relatives. The members of Samwu in the memorandum also attributed "the almost complete collapse of service delivery and infrastructure in Musina" to the municipal manager.

The provincial secretary of Samwu, Mr Cromwell Nthlemo, said that they felt that the municipal manager had never changed anything at the municipality. "Challenges that we faced before he joined the municipality remain unsolved," he added.

Samwu also demanded that the municipality should stop the privatisation of basic municipal services. They also demanded to be paid out for overtime already worked. The memorandum concludes with Samwu's asking that criminal charges be laid against Matshivha. The members have indicated that they intend to lay criminal charges against the municipal manager, the mayor of Musina and officials from the various municipalities, including Mopani, Ba-Phalaborwa, Makhado and Blouberg.

Cllr Ramoyada promised to respond to the memorandum within seven working days.

Mr Matshivha denied the allegations of fraud and awarding tenders to family and friends. In an interview with Limpopo Mirror, he invited any person with proof of public money being used by the him, councillors or any council official for private interest, to report such cases to law-enforcement agencies. “All people should note that the municipal manager is not responsible for awarding tenders,” Matshivha said.

He explained that several committees first sit and then make recommendations to the municipal manager. “Tenders are not only awarded based on price. There are matters such as the BEE points that are also taken into consideration,” said Matshivha.

News - Date: 30 November 2015

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.

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