In Mafube Business Forum's (MBF) media release published in the Frankfort Herald on 21 October 2022, quotes were made from Mafube Local Municipality's (MLM) Final Budget for 2022/23, as published on the municipality's official website (mafube.fs.gov.za). The budget indicates that MLM will pay out more than R10M to the Municipal Manager, the Chief Financial Officer and 3 Directors in the current financial year as salaries.
At the community meeting held on October 13 in Frankfort, the remuneration of the municipal manager in particular was questioned. Mr. Ralebenya denied that the budgeted amounts were correct but could not explain why it appeared on the official website. The mayor of Mafube, mr. Thloare Motsoneng undertook to investigate this. There was no response from Mr. Mkaza. Mr. Mkaza leads the provincial intervention team and is responsible for the implementation of the financial recovery plan.
Netwerk24 also reported on this on Saturday 22 October 2022. According to the reporter, Mr. Ralebenya was called several times but did not answer his phone. Mr. Mkaza was also contacted but he only said that the amounts mentioned by MBF were wrong. He offered no explanation why the budget indicated it that way.
Mr. Abram Mgcina, the chief financial officer (CFO) at MPM, in a strongly worded e-mail message also denied the budgeted amounts and even threatened MBF with legal action. However, he failed to explain why it was published on the official website of MPM, or what, according to him, the correct salary amounts are.
Despite repeated requests, mr. Ralebenya continues to ignore his legal obligation to make the financial statements of the municipality available to MBF. Because MLM submitted their statements to the Auditor General (AG) late for the umpteenth time, the most recent statements available to the public, are those for 2019/20. The remuneration of the then municipal manager Mr. Mojalefa (JJ) Matlole can be seen in the table. Mr. Matlole’s contract was terminated Febrary 2020.
Mr. Matlole resigned as Municipal Manager of MLM at the end of February 2020. This means that a total of R2 198 181 was paid to him for only 8 months of "work", which amounts to R274 773 per month, or R3 297 272 per year! Keep in mind that the maximum remuneration of a municipal manager at a category 2 municipality such as Mafube is limited by CoGTA regulations to R1 267 066 per year. It is clear from this that MLM must answer to questions from the community and MBF.
Join MBF. Visit us at 18A Kerk street, Frankfort or send an email to info@mafubebf.org or send a WharsApp to 079 145 4295. Visit our website www.mafubebf.org
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