Ndwedwe Municipal manager Musawenkosi Hadebe said plans were under way to ensure that the municipality gets clean audits in the current and next financial year. Picture: Tumi Pakkies African News Agency (ANA)
DURBAN - AFTER a challenging period of fighting to clear his name of any wrongdoing in the financial management of Ndwedwe Municipality, the municipality’s chief has said plans are under way to ensure his office did not get caught in the red.
Musawenkosi Hadebe, whose tenure ends in June 2022, said he had made it his life mission to prevent and stamp out all unscrupulous and corrupt activity that may be prevalent in his office.
Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, Hadebe said he was never afraid of the outcome of the audit findings and that the investigation conducted into the municipality’s finances not only helped him, but the municipality itself.
“All senior decision makers and the entire council management must be subjected to regular lifestyle audits.
“In fact, I want to make them compulsory on an annual basis, as I believe this encourages people to remain clean.
“I have cleaned, and I am still going to clean,” said Hadebe.
Last week, the municipal manager cleared the air regarding allegations of fraud and corruption that had been brought against him. Last year, the Ndwedwe mayor Nkosinathi Chili had suspended him on allegations of fraud but, after taking his matter to court, he was reinstated seven days after his suspension.
“I do not want to dwell too much on that because it has been a very challenging period, and the audit report and lifestyle audits cleared my name, but I want to ensure that nobody at the Ndwedwe Municipality received direct or indirect kickbacks.
“The plan now is to enhance the operations of the municipality and drive towards getting a clean audit report in the next financial year.”
Hadebe said strategic planning meetings to ensure this were already under way and the municipality will be holding a conference in early May.
Hadebe spoke to the Daily News as he was preparing to hold the soil turning ceremony, of what will be the town’s very own and first driver’s testing station on Monday. Residents have long complained of having to travel to Verulam to do their transport administration.
“This is a very proud moment for me because this is something that is going to help our people, which is always my main concern. Attached to this, we are also going to open a registration office for licences very soon, as these are also very urgent and important and projects that the community has been waiting for.”
He was also very proud of the municipality’s cash coverage, as a lot of municipalities struggled with this.
silindile.nyathikazi@inl.co.za
Daily News