Municipal manager faces police probe

Rochelle de Kock

THE DA has laid a criminal complaint against against municipal manager Tembani Gutas and legal adviser Chantel Williams, of the Ikwezi Municipality in Jansenville.

The party believes the two are responsible for rendering the municipality "effectively bankrupt".

The move follows the municipality receiving a disclaimer audit outcome for the 2012-2013 financial year from the auditor-general.

According to DA MPL Dacre Haddon, Ikwezi councillor Johnny Lewis laid the complaint at the Jansenville police station in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act.

The DA wants municipal manager Tembani Gutas and legal adviser Chantel Williams to be held accountable for the poor audit outcome. Haddon said some of the findings by the AG in the damning audit included:

• Ikwezi's liabilities exceeding its total assets by R16.3-million;

• Expenditure of R2.1-million being unaccounted for, while an additional R2.5-million has not been disclosed;

• Conditional grant funds being used for other expenditure.

Ikwezi municipal spokesman Andile Damane said the municipality was not aware of any complaint laid against Mngwevu, Gutas and Williams.

"As the municipality, we don't have a position as yet about the audit outcome.

"I cannot comment about the audit.

"Only the municipal manager can and he is on a course at the moment," Damane said.