Spokesperson Qondile Khedama confirms the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation paid a visit to the offices on Friday, requesting access to documents and information pertinent to their investigation located in the Metro’s Human Resource and Salary Division. 

While some reports on the ground allege the investigation and subsequent raid pertain to unauthorised overtime payments, Khedama does not confirm that this is the case. He only tells OFM News the five-person intervention team, appointed by the Free State Executive Council, led by Premier Sisi Ntombela, to bring the metro back from the financial brink, is aware of the raid and is currently following the matter up with the Hawks to establish the facts of the case. 

This is yet to be confirmed by the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta). The Free State Hawks are also mum on the matter.

The cash-strapped Mangaung Metro, which includes Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Dewetsdorp and Wepener, was placed under provincial care in December 2019, following Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo’s call for Ntombela’s intervention. It is the first metro in the country to be placed under administration. 

Mangaung, at the time, was reeling from two downgrades by credit ratings agency Moody’s, which was deemed to be a reflection of the municipality’s weak and declining liquidity position and meant there was a high risk the municipality would not be able to fulfill its obligations. This was evidenced by the metro being dragged to court by Bloem Water over its mounting water bill as well as a subsequent failure to pay salaries on time in January 2020. 

The five-man intervention team tasked with reviving the metro includes the current Acting Head of Public Works and Infrastructure, Ernest Mohlalo, who occupied the position of Chief Financial Officer at the municipality previously. He joins, Mzwakhe Mofokeng from the office of the Premier who will be leading the team, as well as Chartered Accountant (CA), Masechaba Sesing, and an official from the Provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) department, Dineo Mokheseng.

OFM News