Former Makana Municipality Speaker and mayoral committee member Rachel Madinda-Isaac has resigned as a councillor amid allegations of corrupt activity in the version of the Kabuso report adopted by Council.
Former Makana Municipality Speaker and mayoral committee member Rachel Madinda-Isaac has resigned as a councillor amid allegations of corrupt activity in the version of the Kabuso report adopted by Council.
ANC Sarah Baartman region secretary Scara Njadayi would neither confirm or deny that Madinda-Isaac's sudden resignation came as a result of the adoption of the Kabuso report.
Last week Grocott's Mail reported that Makana Municipality had appointed a committee to investigate councillors implicated in corruption in the report from the Kabuso audit firm – the final version of which has now been established and which will be made public.
The committee will be made up of five councillors from the three political parties in the Makana Council and will be chaired by ANC councillor Vuyani Kolisi with councillor Ernest Louw of the ANC as secretary.
Other councillors in the committee are Nonzameko Thyantsula of the ANC, the DA's Les Reynolds and Nozipho Plaatjie from the Congress of the People.
Speaking to Grocott's Mail yesterday Njadayi said Madinda-Isaac had resigned as a councillor. "That means there's a vacancy in the municipality and someone from the reserve list of the ANC will fill that vacancy," he said.
Njadayi said they hadn't received anything official as the party. "However, as an organisation we took a decision that we must create a platform where we will be able to engage with her just to solicit her rationale behind the resignation… what are the compelling reasons for her to resign," he said.
He said they would seek to meet with her next week. "But I can't be certain about the date," Njadayi said. Njadayi was not sure exactly when Madinda-Isaac resigned, but he said the chief whip of the ANC Julie Wells as well as Speaker Yandisa Vara and Mayor Nomhle Gaga had briefed the party about her resignation and it had been processed.
"We received the news from the Chief Whip on Thursday last week." Responding to a question about whether Madinda-Isaac's resignation had anything to do with the Kabuso report, Njadayi said: "I can't say if it is linked or not linked to the Kabuso report, so we will hear from her as to what are the compelling reasons [for her resignation]."
Municipal spokesperson Yoliswa Ramokolo confirmed that Madinda-Isaac had indeed resigned, but she could not offer any reasons for her departure from the job. "That means her position is now vacant. The ANC will decide on who will fill the vacancy according to their list," she said.
DA councillor Brian Fargher said they were mystified by Madinda-Isaac's sudden resignation. "She's only just been made chair of a portfolio. She's just been appointed to the mayoral committee. I have spoken to some of my ANC colleagues and they are as mystified as we are," he said.
"We don't know whether she's got some sort of plans of where she's going or what she is doing." The Kabuso report alleges irregularities involving a number of high-ranking Makana Municipality officials. Among the officials named in the report are former mayor Zamuxolo Peter and former Council Speaker Rachel Madinda-Isaac.
The report also revealed details of alleged irregularities ranging from appointments in which correct protocols weren't followed, to irregular payments.
There has been a lot of confusion around the four versions of the report produced by the Kabuso audit firm. Madinda-Isaac was not available for comment at the time of going to press.
anele@grocotts.co.za
