Richards Bay - The mayor of the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Mpangeni) has made shocking claims of his municipality being previously captured, and water infrastructure being deliberately sabotaged in order to create money-making opportunities for unscrupulous business people.
Xolani Ngwezi who became the mayor in November last year when the IFP-led coalition ousted the ANC from power, claimed that state capture was not confined to the national government as revealed during the sitting of the Zondo commission.
He said even his municipality was captured by certain business elements who worked with corrupt municipal officials to make money.
WATCH: Umhlathuze municipality mayor, Xolani Ngwezi is now addressing the mayoral imbizo at Madlankala township in Richards Bay. He alleges that water infrastructure was being deliberately sabotaged so that water tankers could be hired to supply water to desparate communities. pic.twitter.com/N46kfxhQZ3
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Ngwezi made the allegations on Friday at Mandlankala township in Richards Bay where he was addressing a mayoral imbizo. During the imbizo, he addressed the issue of water and power cuts in the townships of Esikhawini and Mandlankala.
“State capture was not only about what we saw on TV, our municipality also experienced it as well. We had officials who sabotaged the municipality so that they could create business opportunities for certain business people. That is why we ended up with these water issues,” Ngwezi alleged without naming anyone.
Ngwezi also claimed that some allegedly corrupt municipal workers deliberately switched off water valves so that the municipality would be forced to hire water tankers from certain business people.
“We found that some critical water valves were being deliberately switched off so that water tankers could be hired to supply water. That benefited some business people who worked with officials,” he said.
Ngwezi assured the desperate community that the water restrictions imposed on the area will be lifted by December.
The mayor said they had suspended some municipal officials who were behind a diesel spill which contaminated the water supply, resulting in the authorities having to hire tankers.
“As I speak here and as the MM (municipal manager) has already told you, we acted against those who spilt diesel into one of our water reservoirs. As we speak those workers are currently on suspension and attending disciplinary hearings. We are acting against them,” he said.
The diesel spill happened in one of the water treatment plants in eSikhawini in December last year and four workers are currently on suspension over the matter which affected areas like Mandlankala.