INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
File photo: eThekwinis powerful city boss Sibusiso Sithole has been placed under 24-hour armed guard over fears for his safety. PICTURE: GCINA NDWALANE
Durban – eThekwini municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole has come under fire from opposition parties, which have accused him of making an about-turn after he promised to release the full Manase and Associates report.
During a progress report on the Manase report last month, Sithole had told councillors that the report would be released to political parties at the end of July.
The DA has now accused him of reneging on that promise, saying Sithole had informed the party last week that the report would no longer be made public.
“The municipal manager can’t be trusted any more,” said DA chief whip, Dean Macpherson. “He is covering fraud and corruption in the city. We believe that the high powers got to him because the report does not only implicate local and provincial officials, but also national government officials. We’ve been informed that the report contains career-ending stuff.”
The party was considering lodging an application with the Durban High Court to gain access to the full report. “We are now exploring all our options, including the legal route.”
Target
National Freedom Party councillor, Ahmed Shaik Emam, said they had written to Sithole last week asking about the 700-page report, but had not yet received a response from him.
“There is has no indication that suggests that we will get the full report this month,” he said. “It seems like the city used the report to target certain individuals.”
Minority Front councillor, Patrick Pillay, said he hoped that the report would be released at today’s full council meeting.
“The report was commissioned using ratepayers’ money and they have a right to know the details of the full report,” he said.
The closely guarded forensic report on alleged corruption, fraud, financial irregularities and maladministration in the municipality named top officials, including former mayor, Obed Mlaba, former city boss, Michael Sutcliffe, head of treasury, Krish Kumar, former infrastructure head, Derek Naidoo, and former head of housing at the municipality, Cogi Pather. Pather resigned after the report was released while Naidoo’s month-to-month contract was terminated by the city last month.
The report also found that 10 councillors and 123 municipal officials had been in business with the city, and recommended that action be taken. – Daily News
Visit link:
DA may sue city over Manase report