Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance welcomes the arrest of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM), Paul Mahlasela, on fraud charges.
Since his appointment last year, the DA has called for a full investigation in Mahlasela. The wheels of justice do turn, even if they turn very slowly.
The ANC must now do the honourable thing and insist that Mahlasela step aside until his case is finalised.
Mahlasela’s appointment as CFO was a prime example of putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. He has allegedly been involved in corrupt municipal activities for several years and has left a trail of financial destruction behind him.
He was suspended from the Nqgushwa Local Municipality for financial misconduct and left under a cloud from the former Lukhanji Municipality after the Supply Chain Department, which he headed up, was investigated for maladministration and corruption.
Last year, when he was appointed as the CFO, I wrote to the MEC for COGTA, Xolile Nqatha, to urgently request a full investigation into his appointment.
I further requested that all details of the investigations be made available for public consumption, but these were not forthcoming.
In a leaked Psychometric and Competence-based assessment, to assess Mahlasela’s suitability for the position of CFO, he was profiled as person with low levels of self-control; who will circumvent rules when it is expedient to do so; whose strong need to work independently is a risk when the work requires adherence to compliance and who is dismissive of authority.
The assessment could not be clearer. Paul Mahlasela was completely unsuitable for the job at hand. However, instead of facing the consequences for his serial abuse of the public purse, the ruling party did what they do best. They recycled him, and he was appointed to the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality to continue looting.
I will write to the Special Investigations Unit in the Eastern Cape to request that a full investigation be done into all financial transactions during his tenure. If any corrupt activity is exposed, I will insist that further criminal charges be laid against him.
While the wheels of justice have turned very slowly and at great cost to the taxpayers, we are vindicated by his arrest and trust that at last he, and other criminal municipal officials like him, will face the full might of the law.
Regards
Jane Cowley, MPL
DA Enoch Mgijima Constituency Leader
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