BY: SIYABONGA SITHOLE
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for economic development and councillor Nkululeko Mbundu has written to the speaker of the City of Joburg council Vasco Da Gama, executive mayor of Johannesburg Mpho Phalatse and ActionSA caucus leader Funzi Ngobeni to look into allegations of “improper interference with procurement processes” levelled against him.
In February this year, leader of Al Jama-ah Kabelo Gwamanda wrote a letter of complaint against Mbundu to the mayor of Johannesburg asking her to suspend the MMC following allegations that Mbundu had accepted a bribe from an unidentified briber and later returned half of the bribery loot when he realised his mistake.
In the letter to the mayor, Gwamanda asked the mayor to explain why she had not acted against the MMC following these allegations of corruption and accepting a bribe and involving himself in tender and procurement processes.
“Firstly there are allegations that the member of the mayoral committee for economic development, Nkululeko Mbundu, solicited a bribe, received it and kept it overnight before returning only half of the alleged bribe to the briber after coming to his senses. It was further alleged that this was a bribery gone wrong as both the MMC and the head of department of group information and technology (GICT) have a previous long-standing relationship. Secondly, as a party we believe that these allegations will severely compromise the integrity of an ongoing investigation, should they prove to be correct,” the letter said.
However, on Wednesday and following similar allegations against him from other parties and members of the council, Mbundu says he would love for the speaker to fully investigate these allegations against him.
“The letter of complaint dated 11 May 2022, in respect of allegations of improper interference in procurement processes has reference.
“While I challenge the contents of the latter of complaint fully, I write to you to request that this matter be fully investigated. The nature of my work as a member of the mayoral committee necessitates that I be beyond reproach, and this is a principle I will adhere to. I committed myself to the highest standards of transparency and accountability to ensure that an investigation can look into the matters raised expeditiously and without impediment,” Mbundu said in the letter to the speaker.
The MMC said he was confident that an investigation would exonerate him from the allegations which emanate from individuals within his own department.
“I am confident that the outcome of any such process will be my complete vindication and the fact that these allegations arise from individuals in my department and entities who are directly threatened by my work in addressing corruption and maladministration,” he said.
Early this year it was reported that a City of Joburg official was suspended after he tried to bribe Mbundu with a R3 000 bribe and a bottle of whisky in order to get the MMC to renew the Metropolitan Trading Company’s wi-fi contract.