The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) stormed the Newcastle Local Municipality in a dramatic raid recently on account of looting and corruption allegations.
According to Democratic Alliance (DA) Amajuba Constituency Head, Dr Imran Keeka, the operation took place when the municipality’s executive leadership was attending a strategic planning session at a venue in town. He said that the Hawks confiscated electronic devices belonging to senior officials, along with a substantial volume of documents.
Keeka also brought forth allegations that these developments are linked to matters raised during a recent oversight visit by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA). “Among the allegations are the construction of a short stretch of road at an exorbitant cost, the provision of VIP toilets and the hiring of heavy machinery under questionable circumstances,” he said.
However, the Newcastle and District Residents Forum (NDRF) responded with scepticism, critiquing the DA’s position and demanding accountability from its elected leaders who makes up the multi-party coalition government.
NDRF vice-chairperson Neil Sooknanan said: “The DA voted for and helped elect the very senior political office-bearers now presiding over this disaster. The MPAC chairperson and the EXCO Portfolio Committee chairperson positions are held by DA members in powerful oversight roles. You cannot recover a municipality that is financially insolvent, administratively broken, drowning in debt and riddled with alleged corruption.”
Chairperson of the NDRF, Matthew Shunmugam, added that the raid was “a long time coming” and questioned the municipality’s spending priorities. Shunmugam said: “How does the council justify hosting such elaborate events when the town itself is crumbling? Those involved in corruption are smiling all the way to the bank, while service delivery is lacking.”
Since founding the NDRF, Shunmugam has elevated concerns to the Human Rights Commission, the Auditor-General and National Treasury. He noted that while some entities provided positive responses, others, particularly KZN provincial departments, resulted in “dead ends”.
National spokesperson for the Hawks, Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo, confirmed the operation, He said: “While I can confirm to you that there was a raid conducted as part of various operations taking place at the Newcastle municipality, the investigation is ongoing and as such I cannot go further into it.”
Acting Head of Communications at the Newcastle Municipality, Mthendeni Myende, declined to comment, stating: “We will issue an official statement in due course.”
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa was contacted for comment but failed to respond at the time of print.
