Johannesburg - Pikitup’s beleaguered managing director, Amanda Nair, is in more trouble. She is now being asked by Pikitup to pay R33 237 for five cellphones and a tablet computer.
Three phones were issued to her temporarily for the use of members of her household after a burglary at her home last year.
In February, she requested a fourth phone and a tablet, allegedly to give as presents to the son of City of Joburg member of the management committee responsible for environment and infrastructure services, Matshidiso Mfikoe.
Mfikoe is Nair’s political boss.
The report, seen by The Star, was conducted by the security risk management department of the City of Joburg. The report recommends that the money should now be recovered from Nair.
A full investigation was held after Pikitup cellphone administrators and IT staff found that the items were missing.
The report states that after the burglary, Donovan Denyssen, Pikitup general manager of infrastructure enterprise, who has since resigned, issued Nair with three company phones.
Declaration and consent forms were not completed and the phones were never returned.
In February, Denyssen again unofficially issued a tablet and a cellphone after being told they were gifts for Mfikoe’s son.
The report records a long list of people who were interviewed during the investigation and the e-mails that were examined.
Nair was suspended in March for two months on full pay on other charges that are the subject of a disciplinary inquiry instituted by Pikitup’s board.
She was charged, among other things, with unexplained advertising of a tender with a scope exceeding the required budget of R263 million; alleged irregularities surrounding the advertising of the R263m tender; and the unexplained escalation of the costs regarding the tender from R42m in July 2012 to the current R399m.
The City of Joburg did not respond to a request for comment, but Nair told The Star she was not aware of any report.
“The process of (the) disciplinary (action) is in hand.
“The theft of cellphones or irregular issue thereof are not part of the charges. Pikitup has never accused me of any irregular issue of telephones.
“I deny any wrongdoing and believe these accusations are malicious. I would also suggest that the newspaper carefully consider what you publish since I will take action if defamatory allegations are published without proper foundation,” she said.
The former DA councillor responsible for Pikitup, Alan Fuchs, who is now in the legislature, said it was incredulous that the management of Pikitup had “unacceptable internal processes which allow a situation to arise where people can be accused of misusing company assets”.
The Star