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- Johannesburg speaker Colleen Makhubele said she would decide if allegations against MMC Nomoya Mnisi should go before the ethics committee.
- Mnisi is accused of trying to get the City to pay for an ANC Youth League event.
- The speaker is seeking legal advice on the matter.
Johannesburg speaker Colleen Makhubele will decide whether the ethics committee should look into allegations that economic development MMC Nomoya Mnisi tried to get the City to pay for an ANC Youth League (ANCYL) event.
Mnisi is accused of trying to get the City to pay R867 482 for the event at the CedarWoods of Sandton in July.
The MMC allegedly ordered Sipho Mzobe, who quit as the acting CFO of the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), to make the payment from JPC coffers.
Upon hearing the allegations, ActionSA opened a criminal case against the MMC and wrote to the speaker to have the issue put before the ethics committee.
Denying the allegations, Mnisi said: "I have never given any CFO any instructions to make payment for the ANC Youth League conference. It was a shock and surprise [to see the allegations]," she told News24.
On Tuesday, Makhubele told reporters that she was perusing Mnisi's response and would seek legal advice on whether the matter was criminal or whether it should be referred to the ethics committee.
"The Office of the Speaker received the complaint by ActionSA. Before it can be sent to the ethics committee, the speaker will look at the evidence. [It will only go to the ethics committee] if the speaker deems so because the consequences can be severe."
It can lead to removal from office.
"The [initial] letter from ActionSA did not comply with the rules of council. I wrote back last week. They sent an appropriate letter which was well received last Thursday."
She continued:
Makhubele said the advice is expected at the end of next week.
Council whip Sithembiso Zungu said the allegations were serious and that the matter was not being taken lightly.
Council conduct and discipline fall under Zungu's mandate.
"We need to be careful we are not playing in the political space. The matter sits with police."
He said the matter spoke to the conduct of representatives in the City of Johannesburg and that ill-discipline affects the City's funds.
