Ekurhuleni mayor commends brave officials in the face of violence

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality on Friday praised its Finance and Supply Chain management officials for continuing to do their work despite risks to their lives and the murders of two of their colleagues in the past two years.

Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza said that the employees were courageous. 

This was highlighted at the joint oversight visit by Parliament's portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), the standing committees on Public Accounts, the Auditor-General, and the Gauteng provincial legislature at the Ferndale Recreation Centre in Randburg, Johannesburg.

In July, the municipality's divisional head of Forensic and Investigations, Mpho Mafole, was murdered while investigating tenders valued at R4 billion.

Mafole's murder followed that of adjudicator Simnikiwe Mapini in December 2023 while working on a chemical toilets tender.

Ekurhuleni chief financial officer, Kagiso Lerutla, also survived a hail of bullets in September 2023, according to Xhakaza.

"But what gives us courage is that all of them are determined to do their work and not to be influenced by wrong things. It is bad influence from different groupings, forums and all that who want to influence how we must do things in the city," Xhakaza said.

He said the municipality had compiled a report and forwarded it to the police.

"The police are indeed looking at it and there has been leadership from the national police, the premier (Panyaza Lesufi), in terms of what needs to happen. So we are the necessary support," Xhakaza said.

He added that the municipality was determined that everything must be done according to what is in the legislation.

"If there are empowerment programmes, those empowerment programmes are open so that communities can be empowered to participate in opportunities that come in the city," said Xhakaza.

The situation has forced the municipality to beef up security for its officials following the two murders, the mayor revealed on Friday.

"The issues of violence we have reported to the police, we are interacting with the police and they have responded on the matters and I'm sure once these matters are concluded we will then get the necessary updates," Xhakaza said.

He said almost all senior officials, once they are in the municipality's employ, they may receive capacity in terms of security.

"We do risk assessments on the environment, leadership, senior management and the SA Police Service is able to advise in terms of areas where we must intervene.

They are afforded protection and the EMPD (Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department) has the capacity to ensure that they are protected," explained Xhakaza.

loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za