It is rumoured that the Mayor of the Elias Motsoaledi Local Council, last Thursday night 26th February 2015 was held at ransom and apparently the people involved in the heist demanding payment from her in the amount of R 1, 2 million.
What an astonishing story to tell, as that no normal person would in his right mind have that kind of cash lying around in the house, or even not depositing it into a Bank where it would be earning some kind or return on it.
That is of course if you don’t care that people should know that you have that kind of money, and that you are willing and able to declare such income to the South African Revenue Services, in order that you can be taxed on it, and that you have to declare the source of the income and for what reason you earned the relevant money.
What further makes the story very sub rosa is that those that was involved in the “heist” and “demanding” the ransom, seems to be sure of their case that the mayor had that kind of money ‘lying’ around in her house.
It has been rumoured on a number of occasions that the Mayor has been receiving quid pro quo and deuceur kinds of financial amounts in view of the allocation of tenders under very dubious and non-procedural circumstances. Obviously this cannot be confirmed by actual incidents that has happened in the past but there has been a number of tenders that was awarded to various contractors, where the procurement procedures were violated, tenders were never invited and or briefed at tender meetings, tender vetting conspicuously absent, and even in some cases (Fleet Horizon – who was awarded the Fleet Management Contract in excess of R 29 million in value, within 14 days, where the Municipal Manager, acted both as player and referee) and what makes the situation even more dubious and questionable is the fact that on the 05th December 2014, the contractor was advanced R 600 000 (maybe as a Christmas bonus to be paid to someone) without having done any work whatsoever on the contract, and without even any substantiating documents attached to the payment requisition, which for all logical conclusions would have been that actual contract which has now mysteriously disappeared from Municipal records.
Taken full compos mentis (sane and in full control of one’s mind) of the situations that prevails in the management and especially the financial management of the day, it is obvious that ex gratia (payments given as a favour rather than because of any legal obligation) payments are being made, and that this is in total in flagrante delicto (the very act of wrongdoing) to the Municipal Financial Management Act, the Systems and Procedures Act, all of which those in senior positions in council, seem to have a very laissez faire (laid back and couldn’t care less) attitude to subject themselves to the procedures that should be followed.
Taken all of these relevant circumstances into account, it is more that obvious that those that were part and parcel of the “hostage” drama were cognoscenti (people that are well informed about something that is happening) of the financial means of the mayor and the kind of money that she would or could “possibly” be lying around in the house.
The Mayoral car later in the evening being driven around in the area, not by its official driver, but with blue lights flashing and this just adds fuel to the fire and amounts to nothing more than ipso facto (by the very fact) serious modus operandi (procedure followed) of the financial and procurement matters in the council, needs a means and forensic sooner than later, especially so where the situation borders on sine qua non ( a thing that is absolutely essential) , and everything being done in total violation of all procedural prescriptions.
This may even secure the safety of the Mayor, in that the ‘doubt’ or sui generis (unique) vox populi (public opinion) opinion can be killed in toto (as a whole). From information available the Mayor has also furthermore failed to lay any charges about the incident at the local SAPS and as this is something serious that has happened, one need to wonder why?