Police in the Eastern Cape have added Sakhisizwe municipality mayor Boniswa Ponoshe to their investigation of fraud relating to the alleged misuse of municipal fuel cards for a private car.
This comes less than a month after municipal speaker Nomzamo Mkati was charged with the same offence.
This is despite the pair earning more than R1m annually.
Municipal documents seen by the Dispatch show that the vehicle used by Ponoshe was allegedly filled up three times between Komani and eMaXesibeni in November 2022, for a total of R5,500, a small fraction of her hefty salary.
Cala police spokesperson Namhla Mdleleni confirmed a case of fraud had been opened for investigation.
“The case has been transferred to Mount Ayliff [eMaXesibeni] SAPS for further investigation as the [alleged] incident occurred in that area.”
Asked for comment, Ponoshe said: “Unfortunately, I don’t know this,” before she ended the call.
Meanwhile, Mkati is alleged to have misused petrol cards between October and December 2022.
This was allegedly done by forging the registration of a municipal vehicle that had been taken in for repairs.
A case of fraud was opened against her at the Cala police station on October 24 by the Ixhalanga Civil movement.
In violation of the municipality’s fleet management rules, the council ordered the implicated staff to reimburse the costs rather than face criminal proceedings.
The Sakhisizwe council had recommended the matter be sent to the municipal public accounts committee (Mpac) and Chris Hani district municipality’s legal services department for a legal opinion.
According to an Mpac report seen by the Dispatch, the vehicle allegedly used by Mkati was said to not be functioning and was booked in for maintenance by the time the petrol card was used.
The report further highlights that another vehicle, not linked to Mkati, was filled up in another province despite it being deemed as a non-functioning vehicle.
The municipality did not have a transport officer during the period.
According to the municipality’s fleet policy, law enforcement authorities are authorised to apprehend and charge municipal staff for contravention or misuse of the municipality’s vehicles when it amounts to theft and fraud.
Despite this, a special council meeting held in October 2023 resolved that the implicated staff should repay the amounts, face a disciplinary hearing and the municipality must prioritise the employment of a permanent transport officer.
Six of the nine councillors voted in favour of the ruling while three rejected the resolution. Mkati was excused from the meeting.
She is said to have repaid the amount after the resolution in November 2023.
Mkati’s total fuel costs are said to be just more than R9,000, while more costs, amounting to hundreds of thousands by staff members, are being looked at by the municipality.
She could not be reached for comment.
Xhalanga Civic Platform’s Bulelani Bunyonyo said all those implicated should openly tell the truth.
He said the misuse of municipal assets at the municipality was a norm.
“We expect all those who are implicated to step aside from public office or administration, pay back the money to the municipality and go and serve their time in prison.”
Bunyonyo said there was a possibility of fraud charges against some of the petrol stations.
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