EFF's Ekurhuleni council Speaker accused of receiving kickbacks from service providers
These allegations are contained in a confidential report, which EWN has seen, by the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), which places Nthabiseng Tshivhenga at the centre of these fraud and corrupt activities.
Ekurhuleni council Speaker Nthabiseng Tshivhenga. Picture: Alpha Ramushwana/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor and Ekurhuleni council Speaker, Nthabiseng Tshivhenga, along with the secretary in her office, Salome Lekalakala, are embroiled in a scandal involving fraud and corruption amounting to R175,000.
Lekalakala admitted in an explosive affidavit, which EWN is in possession of, that both she and Tshivhenga benefitted from kickbacks from service providers who scored catering contacts for events hosted by her office.
Lekalakala alleges the companies have been invoicing from the city despite not rendering any service to the cash-strapped municipality.
These allegations are contained in a confidential report, which EWN has seen, by the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), which places Tshivhenga at the centre of these fraud and corrupt activities.
According to the report, Lekalakala deceived Reasibe Enterprises into transferring the money to her personal bank account after promising them contracts to provide catering services for events in the speaker’s office.
She admitted to forging the signatures of senior city officials and fabricating confirmation letters to convince the company to make the payments into her personal bank account.
SECRETARY'S AFFIDAVIT
Lekalakala made the allegations against the Speaker only after she was arrested in November last year following her admission to being involved in fraud and corruption.
READ: City of Ekurhuleni preparing for motion of no confidence against council speaker Tshivhenga
"I further state that Speaker Nthabiseng Tshivhenga also benefitted from kickbacks, including clothing purchased by Eliza Milwana [head of the Speaker’s office] using money from service providers who were paid despite not rendering services," Lekalakala wrote.
Milwana however denied this in a written statement to EMPD, pointing out that her signature was forged by Lekalakala.
TSHIVHENGA RESPONDS
Tshivhenga told EWN that the allegations against her were baseless and denied being involved in any wrongdoing.
She raised frustrations that the EMPD did not afford her the opportunity to respond to allegations levelled against her but released the report regardless.
"I must stress that myself, who is supposed to be investigated, have not been given a right to reply. The EMPD has not spoken to me about this matter. The first time I got this matter was when it got to the council agenda. How it got to the council agenda, I don’t even know," she said.
She added that Lekalakala, who was arrested for fraud and corruption, blatantly created a lie.
"I’m very concerned as a presiding officer and the Speaker of the City of Ekurhuleni that we can allow a known liar, thief and person who has been extorting money from people for many years to come and make allegations," she told EWN.
The EMPD has recommended that additional investigations be conducted to determine whether Tshivhenga did indeed benefit from kickbacks in exchange for government contracts.
TSHIVHENGA MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE
The allegations come at a time when Tshivhenga is fighting to keep her job as municipal Speaker.
She is due to face a no-confidence vote on Thursday.
The motion was tabled by the IFP, who argued that she was failing in her role as Speaker.
In a document seen by EWN, the IFP criticised the collapse of council meetings and the assault of councillors under her leadership.
This marks the second time Tshivhenga will face a no-confidence vote. She survived a similar motion last year with support from the ANC and EFF.