Former Municipal Manager sued by Msunduzi counsil

MSUNDUZI Municipality is suing former municipal manager Mxolisi Nkosi, for more than R10 million for allegedly hiring a company unlawfully.

In an affidavit signed by the city’s acting municipal manager Sizwe Hadebe, the council raised questions around the hiring of Moteko Cost Consultants and Project Managers in March 2015.

Moteko was awarded a 36month contract to deliver and implement infrastructure and maintenance projects in the city.

The court action is based on allegations of improper and unlawful awarding of a state contract by virtue of noncompliance, and various other grounds, pertaining to the abuse of Nkosi’s authority.

When contacted, Nkosi and Moteko said they could not comment on the matter.

In his affidavit, Hadebe said Nkosi’s personal assistant and manager of his office at that time Madeleine Jackson-Plaaitjies, prepared a report to Nkosi seeking approval for Moteko to be contracted.

He said the report stated that the municipality was in a dangerous position and ran the risk of not meeting its targets for capital expenditure by the end of the financial year in June 2015.

Although the report was approved Hadebe believes the report was dictated by Nkosi and merely presented through JacksonPlaaitjies for a purpose of creating a recommendation.

According to municipal bylaws, contracts with the expected value of more than R200 000 require a full bidding process from no fewer than three independent service providers but that allegedly did not happen.

Although the head of the Supply Chain Management, Dudu Gambu was unhappy with their service, she could not do anything against the municipal manager.