Emfuleni’s dodgy multimillion-rand fleet deal exposed

The embattled Emfuleni local municipality spent R8.7m to purchase six trucks that were never delivered. This was despite invoices being signed and stamped confirming receipt of the vehicles. These are the findings of a forensic investigation instituted into the acquisition of vehicles by the municipality’s fleet department in 2022, which found it lost more than R16m in total through irregular vehicle purchases and non-delivery.

According to the report by Tshangana & Associates Incorporated, Maboela Forestry and Construction, owned by Mpho Edward Malema, was paid millions of rand for the purchase of trucks, bakkies and graders that were never delivered, supplied irregularly or became inoperable shortly after being acquired. This is the latest corruption scandal to rock the municipality, which has facedrepeated allegationsof financial mismanagement and governance failures. Public money … has instead been allegedly misused in a possible collusion between municipal officials and suppliers for their own self-serving interests.

The report, which was tabled before the council last month, shows that themunicipalityentered into the purchase of the vehicles between November and December 2022. According to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, Maboela Forestry and Construction is in provisional liquidation. The municipal investigation report recommended that criminal charges be laid against the service provider and two senior officials of the municipality after more than R16m was lost through irregular vehicle purchases and non-delivery.

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The report alleges that fleet manager Lerato Mpholo and assistant fleet manager Levy Hlalele certified the invoices as proof of delivery even though the vehicles had not been received. “By signing as receiver and certifier, respectively, both Mr Mpholo and Mr Hlalele misled [the municipality] that the trucks were delivered; as a result, the municipality was prejudiced and suffered a financial loss of R8.7m,” read the report. READ:Another Emfuleni senior worker getting paid while AWOL

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