The National Treasury has stepped in amid the spat between Nelson Mandela Bay’s political bosses and the administration‚ demanding answers to alleged attempts by councillors to interfere in tenders and jobs.
It points out‚ in a strongly worded letter‚ that tampering in supply-chain management is a criminal offence which could lead to jail time of up to five years‚ and asks city manager Johann Mettler to provide details of any such alleged attempts by Mayor Mongameli Bobani and councillors.
Meanwhile‚ it also emerged on Wednesday that Bobani had‚ in fact‚ signed Mettler’s special leave application. This was contrary to his earlier claims that Mettler had left town without informing him.
The treasury’s intervention follows a report in The Herald earlier this week on an instruction to two senior managers by their political heads to place a moratorium on the filling of vacancies and tenders.