City accused of wasting money investigating its forensic investigators
While the City of Johannesburg is facing financial challenges, it has spent R12 million investigating its own corruption-fighting unit, Group Forensic Investigation Services (GFIS).
In a statement on Monday, ActionSA accused the City of Johannesburg of wasting money on investigating GFIS.
GFIS has been accused of carrying out spying activities on some ANC councillors, but there has not been tangible evidence despite numerous investigations.
'We strongly encourage those seeking to continue this witch-hunt to instead demand answers as to why over R12 million has been squandered on it to date, with no preliminary report ever seeing the light of day and, after years of work, making no progress.
'This witch-hunt, set to cost residents a total of R40 million or more, simply cannot be justified and, given the city's dismal balance sheet, is an expenditure it cannot afford for what is nothing more than a vendetta-driven exercise that was rightly questioned and suspended pending a review,' said the party's Marcel Countriers.
GFIS is one of Herman Mashaba's legacy projects in the City of Johannesburg. He launched this corruption-busting unit to fight the abuse of municipal funds.
Mashaba's legacy project
Countriers said the current administration in the city is trying to erase Mashaba's good work as mayor of Johannesburg.
'ActionSA will always stand firmly by the fight against corruption launched by Herman Mashaba during his tenure as mayor.
'To the deep displeasure of those who had been looting the city blind, the corruption-busting unit he established, namely the Group Forensic and Investigation Services (GFIS), investigated over 6 000 cases involving transactions worth R35 billion, marking one of the most decisive anti-corruption efforts in any municipality in South Africa's history,' said Countriers.
Will GFIS close down?
Critics said there seems to be a coordinated effort by the current administration to try to close down this corruption-fighting unit.
'Unsurprisingly, attempts to exacerbate the city's current regression have found eager champions in failed former mayor Thapelo Amad, who seems determined to accelerate the decline through unscrupulous demands for pointless witch-hunts.
'This is only aimed at distracting from the fight against corruption by unjustly targeting the very efforts that put an end to the large-scale corruption which brought Johannesburg to its knees,' he said.
ALSO READ: '-Move Ramaphosa from Chiawelo to Houghton': Joburg ANC fight heats up
Still no evidence of spying
Mashaba has denied that GFIS has been used to spy on ANC councillors. This matter was also reported to State Security, but it also did not find any negative findings against GFIS.
Last year, a GFIS forensic investigator was shot dead in Johannesburg. It is believed that he was investigating corruption involving members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD).
At the time, the city had also proposed extra protection for their GFIS investigators.
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On Monday, Arnolds wrote to the SIIC chairperson, senior counsel Pule Seleka, revoking correspondence sent to him on April 30 by Mthembu. She said the earlier suspension by Mthembu was therefore neither procedurally nor legally valid. Seleka was appointed in April last year to investigate allegations of corruption by GFIS officials. In her letter, Arnolds said the work of the SIIC must resume with immediate effect and proceed to conclusion in line with its original mandate, and that she would further appreciate it if the committee expedited the issuing of the investigation report in part or in full. 'Upon careful review of the applicable council resolution, it is evident that only the council, as the body that constituted the committee, holds the authority to suspend or dissolve its operations. The previous suspension was therefore not procedurally or legally valid,' she wrote. The SIIC was set up after complaints relating to allegations of fraud, corruption, maladministration, and breach of law by the GFIS and others. In particular, its establishment as a separate unit or department and its inherent powers without approval by the council, the appointment of the GFIS head without compliance with the applicable recruitment processes, and the unlawful investigations it conducted against senior officials and councillors. The SIIC was empowered to inquire into, make findings and recommendations, and report on the allegations of fraud, corruption, maladministration, and breach of law in the establishment of the GFIS as a separate department, allegations of fraud, corruption, maladministration and breach of law in the appointment of its head as well as allegations of fraud, corruption maladministration and breach of law regarding the implementation of rogue, clandestine, and unlawful investigations. In his letter, Amad said Mthembu's purported review was irregular and unlawful, and it therefore falls on Arnolds as her successor in title, to withdraw her letter, and cause her to face disciplinary action for contravening a council resolution, which established the SIIC. He also warned Arnolds against seeking permission from Mayor Dada Morero before withdrawing the letter as this would be unlawful and may contravene the separation of powers doctrine. 'We further advise you that since the SIIC has commenced working, you would be liable for wasteful expenditure in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act if you allow its operations to be stopped without an investigation report because you approved its terms of reference,' Amad told Arnolds. In addition, he said to avoid such an eventuality, Arnolds should request the SIIC to conclude its outstanding hearings and consolidate its gathered evidence into a part one investigation report for council consideration and seek further authorisation for its part two investigation. Amad said he believes such a staggered approach is required in the circumstances, as any attempt to collapse the SIIC's operations without any investigation report having been submitted to the council may have far-reaching implications for her. In an earlier response last week, Arnolds said Amad's letter was so unfortunate that it left the impression that her office had failed, refused, or neglected to consider it. 'As you are aware, that I was the MMC: Finance at the time Councillor Mthembu stopped the SIIC from conducting its business as per the council resolution, as the new re-appointed speaker, I had to understand the rationale behind Councillor Mthembu's instructions to the SIIC,' explained Arnolds. She added that as part of understanding the rationale, she had to consult with various internal stakeholders and that the consultations are still ongoing.
