Mervyn Dirks-Something to hide?

The Witness: "Media barred from Exco after Witness expose"
YESTERDAY’s exposé about massive individual overtime claims at Msunduzi Municipality had unforseen consequences when the media was denied entry to the executive committee (Exco) meeting.

Acting Mayor Mervyn Dirks deliberately misled journalists before the sitting by telling them to wait outside as a confidential item was to be discussed before they would be called in.

However, officials walked out two hours later and proclaimed the proceedings over. When journalists asked Dirks why he had neglected to call them in after discussions on the confidential matter wrapped up, he said it was decided inside that the entire meeting would be confidential as only internal issues would be discussed.

DA councillor Bill Lambert was quick to dispute the claim.

“I asked why the press weren’t brought in. We discussed the agenda, not confidential items. It’s a clamp on the freedom of speech and I’m absolutely incensed. This is worse than the lights going off and it’s very sad for our democracy,” he said.

Dirks responded by claiming that it was an oversight on his part, but this is not the first time he has barred the media from sitting in on an Exco meeting.

Inside sources later told The Witness that no confidential matters were discussed. They said Dirks was in huff because his bodyguard’s overtime claims were exposed in yesterday’s Witness, and he retaliated by denying the media access.

Sources also said a resolution was passed that no journalist would be allowed to sit in on any future finance committee meetings.

“It’s because they are hiding corruption and don’t want to be exposed. It’s not right,” said a source.

The DA caucus leader in the KZN Legislature, John Steenhuisen, said Dirk’s actions are illegal according to sections of the Municipal Systems Act and the Constitution.

“It is entirely inappropriate for the media to be barred from meetings unless there are exceptional circumstances; the council must explain what these circumstances are,” he said.

Steenhuisen added: “Given the recent history of the Msunduzi Municipality, it would be a disaster if they closed the meetings. They have got up to enough skullduggery in open meetings. The mind boggles as to what they will get up to if they suddenly start meeting behind closed doors!”

Inkatha Freedom Party councillor Dolo Zondi was not present during yesterday’s sitting and attempts to make reach him by phone were not successful.

"Council backs R200-mln flop"

"Council backs R200-mln flop"
CONTROVERSY surrounds the Msunduzi Municipality’s decision to go ahead with a meter reading system that costs more than R240million and which was ultimately suspended in Port Elizabeth, allegedly because it was problematic.
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=25161

R1 mln council fund ‘hijack’

06 Jul 2009
Sanelisiwe Shamase
HIGH-RANKING officials of the Msunduzi Municipality are set to be investigated after being implicatedin an alleged scam in which they apparently misappropriated more than R1 million in council funds.
The Witness has evidence that municipal manager Rob Haswell, speaker Alpha Shelembe and deputy municipal manager for finance Roy Bridgmohan allegedly by-passed the municipality’s proper procurement process in order to secure R1067119 to finance an African National Congress rally in January.

According to sources, Haswell, Shelembe and Bridgmohan were approached by the regional ANC and asked to help raise funds for an ANC provincial rally that was set to take place on January 18.

Instead of embarking on fund-raising ventures, the sources allege, the three conspired to obtain the funds from the municipality.

Shelembe was given the task of engineering requests for a cultural event called “the Nkosi Mlaba Cultural Day” to be used as a cover, the sources said.

This event was scheduled to take place on January 18, but the authorised payments for the event were allegedly obtained only on January 19.

As far as The Witness can establish, there is no evidence to prove that the cultural event actually took place.

A booking sheet for The Oval, where this event was meant to take place, states that this venue had been booked on January 18 for use by the Midlands Cricket Association.

However, another significant event did occur on January 18 — the ANC provincial rally at Qokololo Stadium in Edendale. It was attended by more than 50?000 people, including national Human Settlement Minister Tokyo Sexwale.

A firm was allegedly paid R497?860 to provide sound, tables, chairs, marquees and a stage at the rally, while another firm was allegedly paid R569?259 for T-shirts, caps, calendars, diaries and paper bags. The total is R1?067?119.

The payment form, which The Witness has in its possession, shows quotes allegedly obtained by Shelembe’s personal assistant, Hazel Xolo, the manager in Shelembe’s office, Nondumiso Hlela, and Haswell.

Bridgmohan allegedly counter-signed the documents, but the absence of the signature of head of procurement Francis Grantham raises questions.

DA MP Mark Steele said that acco­rding to supply chain management regulations, any tenders of significant amount first have to be evaluated by the bid-adjudication committee before being signed by Grantham. Without this, they are not valid, he said.

Steele said another important regulation is that should funds over R1 million be required, council resolution is needed for their authorisation. Should there be no council resolution, then funds cannot be authorised, he said.

IFP councillor and executive committee (Exco) member Dolo Zondi said he did not remember any council resolution about this matter.

“It has never been to council. If this is true then it will put our municipality in a terrible situation. It’s the first I’ve heard of it but I will be investigating it,” he said.

Msunduzi Mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo said she had seen the documents and according to her knowledge no council resolution was passed. She said she would take the documents to council and the issue would be investigated further.

Haswell said he could not comment until he had seen the documents. When The Witness offered to forward the documents to him, he declined.

“The onus is on the DA to forward them to me,” he said.

Shelembe and Hlela failed to respond to voice mail messages asking them to contact The Witness and Bridgmohan could not be reached as his phone was switched off.

DA spokesman Frits de Klerk called for the matter to be investigated immediately.

“Those found guilty should be dismissed from office and the ANC should return the money to the municipality. I am meeting with the auditor-general this week to put the matter before him and to ask that a full investigation take place,” he said.

KZN Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC Willies Mchunu said the matter was brought to his attention at an ANC press briefing last night.

“The premier and the ANC government are committed in investigating the matter and if there’s any wrongdoing, punitive steps will be taken,” he said. He said he would make sure that he got a hold of the relevant documents this week and proceed from there.

The Witness attempted to elicit reaction from the following people yesterday. This was the outcome:

Msunduzi Mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo - full comment given.

Speaker Alpha Shelembe - failed to contact The Witness by the time of going to print even though messages were left on his phone.

Dolo Zondi (IFP councillor and Exco member) - full comment given.

Roy Bridgmohan (deputy municipal manager for finance) - phone switched off with no option to leave a message.

Nondumiso Hlela (manager in speaker’s office) - did not respond to voice mail messages asking her to contact The Witness.

Rob Haswell (municipal manager) - he told The Witness he would only comment once the DA had sent him the documents.

Willies Mchunu (KZN Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC) - full comment given.

DA MP Mark Steele - full comment given.

DA spokesman Frits de Klerk - full comment given.

More proof of cops using cop cars as taxis

More irrate PMB ratepayers are now coming forward about the blatent use of official vehicles as taxis and for other private business and still no response from the Municipal Manager, Rob Haswell. The acting Safety Manager thinks it all a joke. What a circus. NPC 3168 are mentioned in most complaints.