Official defends rezoning action

HOUSING boss Lindile Petuna has challenged a Nelson Mandela Bay audit report which accuses him of misconduct and negligence, saying investigators failed to do their jobs properly.

The report, compiled by the city's internal audit division and which recommends that Petuna be disciplined for allegedly influencing the outcome of a Mill Park rezoning application, was "ill-informed" and "flawed", according to Petuna.

He was responding, in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the institution, for the first time since the allegations against him surfaced.

The audit report – completed in February last year – probed the application for the removal of restrictions on erf 23, Mill Park.

According to the internal audit department, headed by Bonnie Chan, Petuna – who was assistant director of land use management at the time – allegedly instructed a subordinate to amend her report from a refusal to a recommendation for approval prior to the November 2009 housing and land committee meeting.

This was despite the fact that the Newton Park Policy Plan prohibited business usage in that portion of Westview Drive, Mill Park.

The audit report also contains claims that Petuna's alleged instruction was prompted by a visit from a representative of the applicant, Advocate Renee van Rooyen SC.

"I am against any corrupt activity and would not in my capacity, whether in the previous position or in this one, be found to be participating in a criminal activity," Petuna wrote in a letter to The Herald.

"As a matter of fact, I have requested the relevant directorate – on a number of occasions – to proceed with the disciplinary process in line with the disciplinary procedure so that I can put this matter aside."

Petuna said Chan's investigation did not follow proper procedures and had contravened the Local Government Collective Agreement because accusations of misconduct had to be handed over in writing to the city manager before investigating the matter. - Rochelle de Kock