Hawks make more arrests as they clean out ‘corrupt’ council
Councillor Thabani Luthuli claims the city’s integrity and investigative unit is not following proper processes. Councillor Thabani Luthuli claims the city’s integrity and investigative unit is not following proper processes.
Durban - THE Hawks have begun making arrests in connection with alleged corruption in the eThekwini Municipality.
Xolani Vilane, 40, the city’s Safer Cities administration manager, who assigned contracts, signed off time sheets and paid contract workers in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), was arrested on Thursday and appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crime court later that day.
He appeared with Dumisani Nxumalo, 27, described by the Hawks as a ghost worker because he allegedly received a salary although not part of the programme, and Robert Nkosi, 42, apparently an EPWP recruiter.
The EPWP was intended to create jobs for the unemployed with an estimated stipend of R3000 a month.
Vilane was identified in a report by the city’s integrity investigation unit (CIIU) for allegedly making payments to ghost EPWP workers and was apparently unable to provide contracts for employees who were being paid.
He was also accused of signing off payments without inspecting attendance registers.
According to the report, it is alleged his department incurred irregular expenditure of R1.2million in one month. The unit recommended disciplinary action against Vilane in March, but no action was taken.
Vilane was expected to appear in court again with suspended co-worker Andile Shangase on February 21. Shangase was arrested in December with his relatives Bongani Shangase and Musawenkosi Mthethwa.
Shangase was also accused of creating ghost EPWP workers to benefit from the city’s payroll.
Vilane was granted R5000 bail on condition he be removed from his office, while Nkosi and Nxumalo were granted R3000 bail each.
Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed the arrests and said more were expected.
Meanwhile, the city’s audit committee tabled a report to the municipality’s executive committee, pointing out the CIIU had completed a number of investigations but its recommendations had not been implemented.
The report revealed that from July to September, the CIIU completed 371 investigations but the departments took no remedial action.
“It is unlikely the backlog of 371 cases will be implemented in the foreseeable future unless there is a drastic improvement in the rate of implementation,” read the audit report.
The audit committee recommended a panel of experienced presiding officers and prosecutors be brought in to deal with the backlog and hold people accountable.
However, chairperson of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee councillor Thabani Luthuli at a media briefing on Thursday lambasted the CIIU, claiming it had not followed proper processes.
Luthuli said the CIIU should have consulted his committee before taking any action.