Ekurhuleni Mayor warns of an exodus of professionals from the public sector
Xhakaza was speaking at the funeral service of the metro's former head of forensic auditor, Mpho Mafole held in Kempton Park on Sunday.
Mafole was fatally shot by unknown gunmen a week ago while on his way back home from work.
Mafole was working on an investigation into the 'mysterious' disappearance of R2 billion from the city's revenue when he was gunned down.
READ: Friends and family bid farewell to slain Ekurhuleni municipality auditor Mpho Mafole
While the motive for Mafole's death is still unknown, links have already been drawn between him and other past government employees who have been assassinated for blowing the whistle on corruption.
Xhakaza said that Mafole had made progress on the probe into the missing two billion rand case and had even submitted a charge sheet prior to his death.
He said that if his death is in vain, it will send a troubling message to government employees.
"If we don't pull up and enforce the law and ensure there is consequences, I can tell you we will lose some of these professionals. They will want to leave the public service and it will mean the public trust will be eroded.'
Xhakaza said that the municipality is cooperating fully with the police investigations.
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IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
Murder of Ekurhuleni auditor tied to probe into R2b electricity billing scandal
City of Ekurhuleni's group divisional head of corporate and forensic audits, Mpho Mafole, 47, died in a hail of bullets on Monday, June 30. Image: Facebook The murder of Mpho Mafole, the group divisional head for corporate and forensic audits at the City of Ekurhuleni municipality, has sent shockwaves through the city. Mafole was found in a pool of blood after he was sprayed with bullets on the R23 in Kempton Park on Monday, June 30. Sources close to the municipality believe that Mafole's death was a hit, linked to his investigation into a massive R2 billion electricity scandal he was close to uncovering. According to a senior member of the municipality, Mafole, just months after joining the city, and his team were probing a massive electricity billing scandal that cost Ekurhuleni tax payers over R2 billion. The scandal involved tampered electricity accounts, with some accounts paying drastically reduced rates for electricity, while others were absent from the system, evidently showing that the municipality was being short-changed. The senior official of the municipality, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals, said Mafole was close to blowing the lid off the electricity bill scandal that had cost the municipality billions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'Even the mayor (Nkosindipinde Xhakaza) is aware of the matter and is getting to the bottom of it…We are hoping that those that were close to the investigation are kept safe because this has to eventually come out…especially after the death of one of us,' the source said. During a sombre funeral on Sunday, City of Ekurhuleni Mayor Xhakaza suggested that there was a link between Mafole's murder and the municipality's financial scandals. "It is such things that auditors like Mpho would help us determine, where the funds went when I have to account as the mayor," Xhakaza said. "The city and country have lost a man of integrity. We will continue to fight and make sure justice is served,' he said. Earlier in the week Xhakaza also revealed that Mafole had drafted a charge sheet for a suspended official, believed to be part of a criminal syndicate. Speaking at the funeral of slain forensic auditor Mpho Mafole on Sunday, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza delivered an emotional but forceful address, condemning what he described as a deepening climate of fear targeting civil servants confronting corruption. Image: Supplied "It's one thing to prepare a charge sheet for suspended officials and once you submit it, something happens," Xhakaza said. "We don't want to draw up linkages, but if you are involved in this type of work and you get shot, it can't be a random thing". Mafole's family believes that his murder was directly tied to his investigation into municipal corruption. "We knew Mpho was working on something big," said a relative. "He was getting close to exposing corruption in the municipality. The people who killed him knew what they were doing, they were clearly experts". Xhakaza, last week, wrote to National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola to investigate a series of shootings involving senior Ekurhuleni municipal officials. Mafole's tragic death comes four years after whistle-blower Babita Deokaran was gunned down outside her home in Gauteng. Six 'hitmen' have since been sentenced, however, the 'masterminds' behind the hit are still believed to be at large. Deokaran, who was 53 when she died, was the chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health and was killed on August 23, 2021.
IOL News
10 hours ago
- IOL News
Blood price of integrity: Ekurhuleni Mayor warns of exodus amid assassination of Mpho Mafole
Speaking at the funeral of slain forensic auditor Mpho Mafole on Sunday, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza delivered an emotional but forceful address, condemning what he described as a deepening climate of fear targeting civil servants confronting corruption head-on. Image: Supplied Ekurhuleni Mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, has sounded a chilling warning: Unless South Africa protects the integrity warriors within its public institutions, the state faces a mass exodus of professionals — and with it, the collapse of public trust. Speaking at the funeral of slain forensic auditor Mpho Mafole on Sunday, Xhakaza delivered an emotional but forceful address, condemning what he described as a deepening climate of fear targeting civil servants confronting corruption head-on. "If we don't pull up and enforce the law and ensure there are consequences, we will lose some of these professionals. They will want to leave the public service and it will mean the public trust will be eroded,' he said. Mafole, a respected figure in the metro's anti-corruption unit, was gunned down in a brutal ambush last week while returning home from work. His assassination has rocked the city and sparked national outrage. Reports confirmed that Mafole had been spearheading a high-stakes investigation into the unexplained disappearance of R2 billion from Ekurhuleni's municipal revenue. According to Xhakaza, the forensic auditor had recently compiled and submitted a comprehensive charge sheet — a move believed to have advanced the case significantly before his untimely death. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ While the motive for the killing remains unconfirmed, parallels are already being drawn to a chilling pattern in South Africa: public servants who expose corruption being systematically silenced — permanently. This cannot be another case that fades into silence, Xhakaza said. The mayor affirmed that the municipality was cooperating fully with the police investigation and emphasised the urgency of justice — not only for Mafole's family, but for every civil servant still daring to stand up to the rot. As the investigation into the missing billions continues, so too does the hunt for Mafole's killers. IOL Politics
Eyewitness News
16 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Ekurhuleni Mayor warns of an exodus of professionals from the public sector
JOHANNESBURG - Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has warned of an exodus of professionals from the public sector if they are not protected amid concerns of an onslaught of corruption busters. Xhakaza was speaking at the funeral service of the metro's former head of forensic auditor, Mpho Mafole held in Kempton Park on Sunday. Mafole was fatally shot by unknown gunmen a week ago while on his way back home from work. Mafole was working on an investigation into the 'mysterious' disappearance of R2 billion from the city's revenue when he was gunned down. READ: Friends and family bid farewell to slain Ekurhuleni municipality auditor Mpho Mafole While the motive for Mafole's death is still unknown, links have already been drawn between him and other past government employees who have been assassinated for blowing the whistle on corruption. Xhakaza said that Mafole had made progress on the probe into the missing two billion rand case and had even submitted a charge sheet prior to his death. He said that if his death is in vain, it will send a troubling message to government employees. "If we don't pull up and enforce the law and ensure there is consequences, I can tell you we will lose some of these professionals. They will want to leave the public service and it will mean the public trust will be eroded.' Xhakaza said that the municipality is cooperating fully with the police investigations.
