The head of the council’s corporate services committee, councillor Thuleka Ngeleza has been cleared of allegations of spending municipal funds to repair her family’s house.
The head of the council’s corporate services committee, councillor Thuleka Ngeleza has been cleared of allegations of spending municipal funds to repair her family’s house.
A statement made by Councillor Lena May at a previous Ordinary Council meeting, prompted Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart to conduct an investigation.
May expressed her dismay at how municipal funds could be prioritised to repair a full time councillor’s house damaged by the tornado while there are many people who still require repairs to their houses.
A report of this investigation stated that Ngeleza confirmed that two houses – a main structure and an RDP house on the same plot – belonging to her family were damaged by the tornado. She further stated that at no stage were the houses repaired by the municipality and that her uncle repaired the damages and kept the invoices to claim for a refund from the municipality.
She also confirmed that she filled out a Housing Subsidy Scheme application form to claim for the damages and expenses incurred. The investigation revealed that another form was completed for the house and a second application form is believed to have been completed by the uncle for the same damages claimed by Ngeleza.
Further faults
Comment on the provisions of the Emergency Housing Assistance Programme said that Ngeleza cannot apply for the emergency repairs work as she is not the owner of the property and that the government only helps people whose resources are limited.
“The fact that the person may undertake the repair work himself, then such a person cannot be reimbursed,” the comments read.
Recommendations listed in the report included that:
- no financial prejudice has been suffered by the municipality in respect of Ngeleza submitting a claim in good faith on behalf of her family;
- no amount of money should be paid to Ngeleza and her family in respect of the repairs already done to the house as per instructions of the province applicable government funds and;
- allegations against Ngeleza be dismissed.
The council agreed on noting that Ngeleza has not benefitted unduly in any way from the municipality’s programme to fix houses damaged by the 2008 tornado and that the allegations are dismissed.
Developments
May has been asked to apologise to Councillor Ngeleza for the housing fraud allegations she made against her.
At an Ordinary council Meeting, Councillor Zamuxolo Peter said, “As the portfolio head of Technical Infrastructure, when that allegation was made against the councillor, I stood up and made an appeal that an investigation must be made.”
“I think it is correct for me once more to stand up and applaud that we have Councillor Ngeleza’s name cleared. If Councillor May was here, it would be human enough to stand up and apologise in making unfound allegations about her.”
Councillor Luyanda Nase agreed with Peter that an apology must be made.
“This matter is sensitive,” said Nase and advised the officials that information which may seem confidential must be extracted from a document that is available to the public.
Councillor Lena May was unavailable for comment.
