Opposition parties in sekhukhune district municipality demand resignation of executive mayor over VBS saga.
Jane Furse
Opposition parties in Sekhukhune District Municipality in Limpopo want law enforcement agencies to conduct an investigation on the executive mayor, Julia Mathebe, for alleged involvement in VBS saga.
It all started during her tenure as the mayor of Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (EMLM), an amount of R190 million was invested in the now defunct mutual bank.
The funds, were however, later withdrawn and the municipality lost R48000 of supposed interest.
Mathebe, however, says the provincial government cleared her of any wrong doing.
Socialist Agenda of Dispossessed Africans (SADA), Democratic Alliance (DA) and SAMEDA have continued to express their concerns about public funds lost in the now defunct VBS mutual bank. The opposition parties want the money to be recouped to improve service delivery.
Recently, Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane directed council speakers of all local municipalities in Limpopo to take appropriate actions against those implicated. The municipalities around Limpopo lost funds exceeding a billion rand in VBS.
The Sekhukhune District, Tubatse-Fetakgomo, Elias Motsoaledi and Makhuduthamaga invested Public funds. Obvious to the fact that the provincial government has exonerated Mathebe, the opposition parties want her to be investigated.
DA and SADA spokesperson Thabo Makofane and Lethabile Kgwedi and Alpheus Malone of SAMEDA say they want those responsible to be held accountable.
“As the Democratic Alliance, if the matter of investing in the VBS was illegal, the matter must be investigated by police and law enforcement officials.” stated Makofane.
“We are well aware the Public Protector has issued a report and that municipalities must account to it and its findings. The same executive mayor giving a speech today is one of those involved in investing money in VBS bank.” Added Kgwedi.
However the newly appointed executive mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality says the forensic report conducted by provincial government has exonerated her from any wrong doing.
Mayor Julia Mathebe, says “We agreed that there was noncompliance from municipal officials to invest with VBS and that investigations were made.”
The provincial government has commissioned a forensic investigation report and there is nowhere in that report were it states that I was ever involved in VBS, the matter was resolved and the R48000 that was part of interest that we could not recouped from VBS, was recouped from the then municipal manager.”
The African National Congress in Sekhukhune says there is no need for Mathebe to step down as she has done nothing wrong in regard to the VBS saga.
The regional Deputy Secretary, Given Moimana says the Provincial Executive Committee has recommended Mathebe for the position of executive mayor after its forensic investigations exonerated her.
The issue of Housing nesting with VBS the leadership at the level of ANC in the province dealt with the matter thoroughly and those other municipalities, who invested with VBS bank and who were not recalled, the ANC took a decision to recall the executive mayors. With Elias Motsoaledi where the municipality invested the largest amount of money, all the money was recouped that is why the mayor at that time was not recalled,” says Moimana.
