Suspend Bitou mayor and manager and take them to court, says special police unit

20 April 2006

Aziz Hartley

The ANC mayor of Plettenberg Bay and the municipal manager face suspension and prosecution over an alleged spending spree using municipal credit cards.

This comes after a special investigating unit (SIU) probe, ordered by MEC for Local Government and Housing Richard Dyantyi, found a number of irregularities and recommended that steps be taken against the pair in charge of the Bitou municipality.

Dyantyi tabled the unit's report at a meeting of the provincial standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) yesterday.

The unit recommends disciplinary action be taken against Plettenberg Bay's municipal manager, George Seitisho, who is alleged to have allowed the unlawful use of credit and petrol cards against the municipality's account.

Disciplinary action has also been recommended against Euan Wildeman, executive mayor of the Bitou municipality, which includes Plettenberg Bay.

The SIU alleged that Wildeman issued credit cards for himself without following procedure.

It also alleged he had been aware he had mistakenly received an overpayment of R14 229 for a trip abroad.

The report recommends that disciplinary action be taken against Seitisho and Wildeman, including that they be suspended, and that they face further police investigation and prosecution.

Scopa accepted the recommendations and instructed Dyantyi to act speedily in implementing them and to give the committee a progress report within 30 days.

The SIU investigation found that between April 2003 and August 2004, Seitisho allegedly used R176 773 from the municipality's account for private expenditure and allegedly failed to disclose an overpayment of R14 229 for an official overseas trip.

Seitisho had used R6 925 in municipal funds to hire a Mercedes-Benz for his private use, the SIU alleged.

The SIU also recommended civil action against Seitisho to recover 15.5% interest on the amounts he allegedly benefited from.

Scopa asked Dyantyi to have his department submit a separate report on Bitou municipality's affairs.

Scopa member Yusuf Gabru said: "We support the SIU's recommendations, but they must be implemented immediately and vigorously. Scopa is saying there must be no delays in charging people (suspected of having broken the law)."

Dyantyi said he would meet Bitou municipality's full council to explain the need to conclude the matter urgently.

"I expect to deal with the implications when I act on the recommendations. While as MEC I will be harsh on corruption, I have to keep in mind there are ratepayers who expect services and I do not want that interrupted," said Dyantyi, who set the SIU probe in motion in October after allegations of irregularities were contained in an auditor-general's report to Scopa.

The report said the Bitou municipality was unable to repay three loans that added up to R21 million.

Wildeman and Seitisho were named in the report for incurring credit card expenses for which they could not provide invoices.

The report said Seitisho had breached his contract when he entered into a R90 000 new vehicle loan with the municipality while owing R163 924 on another loan.

Scopa member Alan Wende said as Seitisho had also managed the Kokstad and Kannaland municipalities, the probe should include them.

The committee accepted this motion and is to discuss it at its next meeting.

Source: Cape Times

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