The Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in the North West on Monday welcomed the sentencing of former Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality Municipal Manager (MM), Adv Abbey Dlavane to an effective 5 years jail sentence describing it as a victory against fraud and corruption.
Convenor of the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) North West Interim Committee, Pastor Lesiba Kgwele commended the Hawks Serious & Commercial Crime Investigation Directorate and the National Prosecution Agency for the successful prosecution and called for the asset forfeiture processes to follow in order to recoup the monies lost to the municipality.
“This should serve as a deterrent send an unequivocal message that officials that are entrusted with public resources will be held responsible for succumbing to greed and corruption as their actions are a betrayal of the trust of communities that are yearning for improved service delivery,” remarked Kgwele.
Dlavane (61) was sentenced in the Klerksdorp Magistrates Court on Friday following a series of court appearances that found him guilty on one count of theft and one of contravening of Section 173 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
He was subsequently sentenced to 5 years direct imprisonment on charges of theft and 3 years imprisonment for contravening the MFMA which was wholly suspended for 5 years.
The court had established that Dlavane had allegedly during his tenure as MM between January 2009 and March 2020 instructed the credit controller to issue a cheque amounting to R550 000.00 to Kumekucha Investment for services not rendered to the municipality.
Investigations after the matter was reported to the Hawks had confirmed that the convicted former MM was the sole member of Kumekucha Investment.
Pastor Kgwele stressed that the roll-out of the Local Government Ethical Leadership Initiative (LGELI) Code adopted after MRM’s extensive engagement with Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (SALGA), South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Ethics Institute and the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) will contribute towards strengthening the Local Government Anti-Corruption Strategy.
Kgwele maintained that municipalities will only reposition themselves for effective service delivery as well as prudent financial management if they adopt zero tolerance to corruption, rid themselves of unscrupulous individuals, promote ethical leadership as well as good governance and accountability.
He expressed confidence that the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that MRM had recently signed with SALGA during its Annual Assembly held in Limpopo will bring civil society on board as regard strengthening partnership with municipalities to intensify the fight against corruption and building values driven communities.
ENQUIRIES: PASTOR LESIBA KGWELE (CONVENOR)
CELLPHONE: +27 81 340 7101
EMAIL :LKgwele@gmail.com
ISSUED BY THE INTERIM COMMITTEEE FOR THE NORTH WEST MORAL REGENERATION MOVEMENT CHAPTER