Caucus leader at the municipal council, Hardie Vivier, in a statement, says plans to sue Mokgadi Kganakga regarding the contents of a speech she delivered in council on the 31st of May 2021 is disappointing.  

The Metro's power utility's spokesperson, Lele Mamatu, says so far they have served Kganakga with a notice of intention to sue her for misleading information regarding sensitive information which could only be obtained by request from the entity. 

OFM News previously reported that Kganakga, during her speech at the metro’s council, said Centlec’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Malefane Sebokwana and the board allegedly agreed to increase his salary in April 2021 to R2.4 million per annum, which is much higher than his predecessors.

Vivier says the entire letter is ill-advised as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 4 of 2013, in which Centlec is making all its averments, will only be in effect on 1 July 2021. 

He says Centlec’s intimidation tactics via their lawyers is also evidence of them not trying to correct but rather conceal their maladministration.

“Furthermore, the councillor would have been exempted from the operation of sections 11(3) and (4), 12, 15 and 18 in terms of section 38 of POPIA, given that she processed the information and published same, in performance of her functions as a Councillor of the Mangaung Metro Municipality,” he adds.

Vivier says Centlec is reminded that public representatives exercising their duties and functions of oversight regarding the spending of public funds, enjoys the freedom of speech and the privileges afforded to them to give full information. 

“The Auditor General’s (AG) unqualified opinion given to Centlec as a stand-alone entity on the 4th of June 2021, proves the massive maladministration and looting in the entity,” Vivier further adds.

OFM News