R5.8 MILLION SPENT BY THE NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY TO REMUNERATE SUSPENDED CITY MANAGER NOXOLO NQWAZI
BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA©®™
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is appalled by the reckless, wasteful, and fruitless expenditure of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, which has over a period of two-years and five months paid suspended ANC-appointed City Manager Noxolo Nqwazi, a cumulative amount of R5.8 million.
In what can only be described as irresponsible conduct by a municipality which has failed to exercise its due diligence and responsibility, Nqwazi has drawn a salary while on suspension since the 20th of October 2023, due to the failure of the municipality to timeously institute the necessary disciplinary processes and procedures.
This has resulted in not only her being a burden on the finances of the municipality, but has meant there has been a revolving door of acting City Managers in the City for two and a half years. As a result, millions have been spent remunerating these acting City Managers, while R5.8 million has been spent on the suspended City Manager.
Of greater concern is that the City has reportedly lost R1.6 billion in rollover applications from National Treasury over the years, due to the absence of a City Manager. The process of rollovers refers to instances where each financial year approved and unspent funds are reallocated for committed projects which can range from infrastructure and service delivery objectives, rather than returning that money to the National Revenue Fund.
This means residents are being denied funds which could improve their lives due to the lack of an active City Manager to claim these funds.
The EFF takes this opportunity to remind South Africans and the people of Nelson Mandela Bay that it was the EFF which led the charge against the fraud and corruption accused Noxolo Nqwazi, who was implicated in the irregular procurement of a toilet tender in the municipality which led to her arrest.
On the 01June2023, we called for the immediate resignation of Nqwazi, on the basis of the findings of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which revealed that she approved a R24.6 million tender to procure 2000 toilets during the COVID-19 pandemic, under the guise of emergency procurement.
Unsurprisingly and true to form for an ANC-appointed City Manager, only 200 toilets were procured, and it was revealed that Nqwazi sat at the head of a corrupt patronage network, wherein she is alleged to have utilised the proceeds of this irregular tender to control ANC and DA councillors using bribes, in order to shield herself from accountability.
Following consistent and principled calls and campaigns by the EFF, and a special motion which was introduced by the EFF in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal Council, Nqwazi was placed on a precautionary suspension on the 20th of October 2023.
It is therefore undermining to the good work of the EFF in fighting corruption, and disrespectful to the people of Nelson Mandela Bay, that money that could have been used to deliver basic services such as water, electricity, cleaning of illegal dumping sites and many other critical services, has been used to pay an individual who is sitting at home doing nothing.
The EFF will therefore bring an urgent motion in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal Council, to urgently begin and resolve disciplinary proceedings against Noxolo Nqwazi. The EFF wishes to make it clear that we will in no shape or form support any settlement agreement with Nqwazi, who has already been accused of defrauding the municipality using tenders, and has now defrauded the municipality by being remunerated for almost three years while on suspension.
The R6.5 million settlement which she has reportedly agreed to is a spit in the face of the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay who suffer indignity on a daily basis.
Corruption must not be rewarded, and the EFF will fight tooth and nail to ensure that there are consequences for the irresponsible conduct of the municipality, and that the monies which have been paid to the ANC’s Noxolo Nqwazi are recovered.
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