NELSON MANDELA BAY - MAYOR BHANGA WELCOMES ARRESTS OF FORMER MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS FOR FRAUD & CORRUPTION

In a statement released on Thursday 29 July 2021, Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Nqaba Bhanga expressed his content with the arrests of 4 former Nelson Mandela Bay Metro municipal officials for money laundering, fraud and corruption.

The statement reads as follows: 

Executive Mayor Nqaba Bhanga notes and welcomes reports of the arrest of four former Nelson Mandela Bay municipal officials and three company directors. These arrests relate to the irregular awarding of a tender to Milongani Eco Consulting, with the accused facing charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering. 

Former DA Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Athol Trollip, initiated the investigation into this dodgy deal in March 2017. The investigation discovered that the tender, awarded in 2015, was no more than a municipal cash cow through which about R25.6-million of ratepayers’ money was funneled.

These arrests come on the back of an update Mayor Bhanga provided on 27 July 2021 regarding Internal Audit reports and actions being taken to tackle corruption and bring back good governance in Nelson Mandela Bay. When Mayor Bhanga was elected as Executive Mayor in December 2020 he made a firm and unwavering commitment to stamping out corruption in Nelson Mandela Bay. He made it very clear that the coalition of good governance would hold the administration, municipal officials and politicians to the highest standard and would not tolerate any impropriety.

The Metro’s Internal Audit department are currently investigating 153 cases of possible irregular contracts, 16 of which have been referred to them since Mayor Bhanga took office, many emanating from his Office. A number of these cases are also under investigation by law enforcement agencies – and the coalition of good governance will ensure that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality cooperates and provides all information required

NMBM