Allegations of Corruption: Kannaland Mayor Jefrey Donson Faces Extortion Claims

Jefrey Donson, the mayor of Kannaland local municipality, Western Cape, is facing corruption allegations, including extorting money from his office staff.

Employees claimed that Donson has employed unqualified workers, who are forced to pay him monthly amounts ranging from R4,500 to R10,000, depending on their salary scale, in return.

One employee, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, said:, “We all know the deal in that office; we pay him monthly, and his advisor comes to collect the money.

"Others are paying more because we don’t all earn the same amount.”

Another employee who asked for their identity to be withheld said such practices impacted the municipality's budget.

“There are senior managers here who are forced to work endless overtime, and we are compelled to approve or pay for such services.

"Our municipality is under a recovery plan, yet we waste so much money on overtime alone.

"We have spent over R2 million on overtime (monthly), and that defeats the whole point of the recovery plan,” the employee stated.

Due to the dire financial state of the municipality, the entity was subjected to a financial recovery plan instituted by the Western Cape provincial government in August to restore financial stability and strengthen service delivery.

One of the key objectives of the FRP was for stricter control over overtime and other spending at the municipality

Reports that have also emerged about the mayor’s advisor currently being embroiled in legal troubles, stemming from an assault charge made by a female colleague.

Donson, who has been in office since 2021 and is a convicted sex offender. He was found guilty of statutory rape and indecent assault of a 15 year old girl in 2008.

The mayor was first in the same office in 2002, until he was removed through a motion of no confidence in 2008, and re-elected in 2021. 

His appointment led to widespread public outrage.

When the Daily News contacted Donson for a response to the allegations made against him, he denied the claims. 

He said in Afrikaans: "Ek dra nie kennis nie (I am not aware)."

Kannaland's municipal manager Dilo Sereo dismissed the claims me against Donson's administration, and said  there were established mechanisms within the municipality to report any acts of wrongdoing.

“We have a whistle-blower hotline where all suspicions and allegations can be reported, and none have been received regarding these matters,” Sereo claimed.

About excessive overtime pay, Serero said that all overtime was pre-approved by line managers as per the municipality's policy.

The Finance MEC in the province, Deidre Baartman, differed with Sereo's assertions by clarifying that senior managers were not eligible for overtime payments.

Baartman explained: “When the provincial (head) of Finance presented the Financial Recovery Plan to Council and the community on September 8, it was made clear that the Financial Recovery Plan is not a bailout.

"There will be no additional funds transferred to the municipality.”

Baartman also said, via her spokesperson, Marshal Fredrick, that the stance against excessive overtime was due to previous high spending, which significantly contributed to the municipality's financial crisis, resulting in the entity being placed under provincial intervention.

DAILY NEWS