Local Government and Housing MEC Humphrey Mmemezi signed off on a R3 600 car allowance for his daughter and five other employees of the Mogale City municipality even though he was warned that this was against council travel policy.
In respect of his daughter Nomvuzo, this was backdated for four years and to a time when, according to council insiders, she and three others did not qualify for this perk. By doing this, Mmemezi violated the council’s travel policy, which prohibits junior staff from qualifying for a car allowance and backdating it.
The Star sent several requests for comment to the MEC – who has come under scrutiny for his abuse of his government-issued credit card and damaging a state vehicle – but he was yet to respond at the time of publication.
However, in a Talk Radio 702 interview on Monday, Mmemezi denied inflating his daughter’s salary.
But The Star has seen Mogale City municipality documents that indicate otherwise.
According to the document titled “Adjustment of Travelling Allowances” and signed by Mmemezi on May 19, 2010, Nomvuzo, Binang Monkwe, Alta Schoeman, Tshiamo Senosi, Wilna Scott and Dorah Nzwane were each given car allowances. Nomvuzo’s was backdated to February 1, 2006; Monkwe’s to July 1 2007; Schoeman’s to July 1, 2008; Scott’s to October 1, 2008; Senosi’s to January 1, 2009; and Nzwane’s to July 1, 2009. The six had jointly petitioned the municipal manager for the retrospective adjustment.
The petition was supported by senior managers Shirley van Niekerk, manager of expenditure, and Japhter Makhafola, manager of budget treasury.
A week before Mmemezi signed the document, he had been warned by Mogale City municipality’s acting municipal manager, Shirley Mathebula, that “retrospective payments have never been upheld by the MM (municipal manager)”.
Despite this, the adjustments were signed off by chief financial officer Leslie Mahuma, head of corporate services David Mokoena and Mathebula.
Mmemezi, manager of human capital management in the council at the time, then signed off on the payment.
Confidential sources with knowledge of the council’s policies told The Star that Mmemezi’s daughter did not qualify for a car allowance when she was employed by the municipality in 2006.
According to these insiders, “locomotive holding positions (travel costs) or car allowances were only given to managers and senior managers in the municipality. Her job, as a creditor, was office-bound and therefore did not qualify. It was illegal for the municipality to backdate her car allowance to 2006.”
Nomvuzo was paid a minimum monthly allowance of R3 600 from February 2006 to September 2007, amounting to R72 000.
Following a promotion, Nomvuzo qualified for a car allowance in October 2007, although lower than others in management positions.
Mogale City spokesman Nkosana Zali, despite being confronted with documented proof, denied that the six were paid backdated car allowances.
Instead, Zali said: “The six officials were afforded travelling allowances relevant to all officials of the same level in line with the practices, policies and procedures of the municipality. Anything else would have been unfair labour practice.”
He said the allowances were based on an allocation of 650km a month per official.
But, in an apparent contradiction, Zali said: “We reject the insinuation that the acting municipal manager acted recklessly and without due consideration of matters before her. The acting municipal manager made her sentiments relating to the retrospective payment quite clear. What was approved was the adjustment of the allowance to create certainty of parity.”
Makhafola has since left Mogale City and taken up a position of chief financial officer in the department of Local Government and Housing under Mmemezi. Van Niekerk still works for the council.
Meanwhile, the ANC in Gauteng has rejected The Star’s reports on Monday that Mmemezi would be fired before the end of the month.
ANC spokesman Dumisa Ntuli said: “The article is mendacious, malicious, unsubstantiated and far from the truth. The ANC integrity committee is currently investigating all allegations on the use of the official credit card and vehicle, and will make its recommendations to the provincial executive committee in order to determine the course of action.”
The Star understands that Mmemezi submitted a full report to Premier Nomvula Mokonyane in which he allegedly acknowledged “making the irregular purchases from his credit card”.
Insiders said Mmemezi “found nothing wrong in his actions, and that prompted the premier to want to act against him. He showed absolutely no remorse.”
Ntuli refused to comment on Mmemezi’s alleged admission of his actions to the premier.
Mmemezi, according to The Star’s sources, admitted that he used his government credit to buy a R10 000 painting at a McDonald’s restaurant in Silverton, Pretoria, in October last year. A picture of the painting was made available by the DA on Monday.
He also admitted that he used his credit card on various overnight stays in hotels and lodges around Gauteng.
The Star