Public protector Lawrence Mushwana has strongly recommended disciplinary action against a municipal mayor, a city manager and an MP after more than R25 000 was donated to a parliamentary constituency office.
Mushwana condemned as "unlawful, wasteful and irregular" a R25 856 donation paid by Kungwini municipal mayor Obed Maila and the municipal manager at the time, Chris Matjila, in May 2006.
The money was donated to ANC MP Jonas Sibanyoni to fund the launch of his constituency office outside Pretoria.
Mushwana has recommended to the National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete, that disciplinary action be taken against Sibanyoni.
Sibanyoni asked Maila for the donation to launch the Kungwini ANC parliamentary constituency office, money that was subsequently approved by Maila and Matjila.
Mushwana has asked the Kungwini council to establish a special committee to investigate the donation and recover the money from Maila and Matjila.
"The expenditure creates bias and favouritism towards the ANC and disadvantages other political parties," said Mushwana.
Mushwana said Sibanyoni, Maila and Matjila did not act in the public's best interests. He said Sibanyoni's actions put the integrity of parliament and the municipality at stake.
DA MP Willem Doman, whose complaint about the irregular spending prompted the investigation, said: "The judgment should be a lesson to all ANC-controlled municipalities not to misuse taxpayers' money, especially in the run-up to the general election next year."
Sibanyoni said he was shocked to hear the public protector had ruled against him.
He said he had met the public protector and indicated that he thought the donation was "proper" as it would help the community to lodge complaints about poor service.
The remainder of the money was used to promote his constituency office, he said.
Maila and Matjila could not be reached for comment.