Gauteng finance head Stuart Lumka has been fired for alleged financial misconduct for entering into numerous contracts without authorisation. These include: • Paying R48.8 million to Shimo IT Solutions when the Gauteng Department of Finance had no legal obligation to do so. Lumka also accepted liability in favour of Novell Ireland Software Limited and Shimo without authorisation and • That he incurred and/or caused the GDF to incur irregular expenditure of R2.1 million when he signed the Shimo Project charter.According to a statement by the department‚ Lumka had argued for leniency on the basis that his entering into the said contracts was a case of bad judgement but the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing found otherwise.“The evidence shows that Mr Lumka was derelict in an egregious manner in his conduct pertaining to the charges for which I found him guilty. He ignored not only legal advice but went against a prior collective decision that there be no further payment to Novell‚” the chairman said in arriving at the decision.“The province has also requested the State Attorney to advise regarding whether to institute criminal and/or a civil case against Mr Lumka to recover monies misappropriated. The province is awaiting the outcome of the opinion from the State Attorney‚” the department said in a statement.-RDM News Wire..