It is unacceptable that officials and politicians who are involved in criminal cases for mismanagement and corruption related to their office are allowed to continue with their work and the management of the municipalities where they are employed.
The Mayor of the JB Marks Municipality, Mr Kgotso Khumalo, is currently facing charges of financial mismanagement and fraud relating to the allocation of contracts stemming from his work as Mayor of the Municipality.
And yet he is still serving as Mayor at present and he is actively participating in the current adjustment budget process, during which adjustments to contracts are being made.
Khumalo's initial bail conditions prohibited him from accessing the municipal offices, but he brought an application before the Magistrate's Court to have the conditions relaxed. His application was granted and his bail conditions were changed, thus, he is once again fully participating in the operations of the Municipality.
Urgent attention must be paid to policy and legislation, specifically labour legislation, as regards the rules for politicians who are still performing their duties while being criminally prosecuted.
One of the biggest problems in local government is that the ANC considers these laws to be mere legal guidelines and not legislation.
A shining example of the ANC's attitude towards individuals being prosecuted for criminal offences is Ace Magashule, the ANC's Secretary-General, who is allowed to continue performing his duties on the highest level in the party despite the serious charges that were brought against him.
Concerning Khumalo, the FF Plus is of the opinion that the adjustment budget will have no credibility whatsoever due to his involvement in its formulation.
The FF Plus will ask the Auditor-General (AG) to keep a very close eye on how the JB Marks adjustment budget is spent. The party will also ask National Treasury to ensure that the implementation of the budget is correct.
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