Go 17 June 2021

GO! & EXPRESS 17 June 2021 For all your advertising needs call Cheryl (043) 702 2031. Find us on Facebook 7
HORSING AROUND
MEC silent on BCM
whistle-blower scandal
ASANDA NINI
NICE TO MEET YOU: A horse and cat investigate each other at Emerald Vale Breweries P i c t u re :
MATTHEW FIELD
Couple bust
for dealing in
marijuana
R15,000 fine each or five years imprisonment
SIPHOSIHLE DYONASE
Provincial head of the
H aw k s ’ Priority Crime
Investigation unit Major
General Obed Ngwenya praised
the East London Serious
Organised Crime Investigation
(SOCI) team, along with with
Crime Intelligence (CI), for
collecting evidence which led
to the conviction and
sentencing of Brenda Van
Heerden, 62, and her husband
Basil van Heerden, 61, on
multiple charges for dealing in
marijuana.
The couple were convicted
and sentenced by the East
London Regional court on
June 14.
It was reported that during
the period between April
16 and May 21, the SOCI team
worked with CI to execute an
operation regarding the two
suspects, who were selling
dagga to the members of the
community from their residence
in Chiselhurst.
Three purchases of dagga
were successfully executed at
the residence and, upon their
arrest, a further 899g of dagga
was found already packed for
selling purposes.
“Both accused were arrested
on May 21 and made their first
court appearance in East
London Magistrate court where
they were released on R1,000
bail each,” s a i d H aw k s
provincial spokesperson Yolisa
Mgolodela.
“The matter was remanded
to the June 29 but due to the
insistance of their legal
representative, the matter was
brought forward for finalisation,
hence the conviction and
sentencing on June 14.”
“They were both sentenced
to pay a fine of R15,000 or five
years imprisonment and in
addition, were each sentenced
to a further five years
imprisonment, suspended
for five years provided they are
not convicted for the same
offence again during their
suspension period.
“They were further declared
unfit to possess a firearm.”
A senior Buffalo City Metro
councillor has asked Cogta MEC
Xolile Nqatha to investigate
fellow ANC comrade and ward
36 councillor Bongiwe Sauli for
allegedly pocketing a R60,000
kickback from a service
provider in 2019.
Former metro council chief
whip Mzwandile Vaaibom, in a
letter to Nqatha, claims to have
been approached by a whistleblower
in the ward earlier in
2021 with allegations that Sauli
was involved in a corrupt deal.
Vaaibom, the metro's
mayoral committee member
responsible for economic
development, told Nqatha he
had seen bank statements
reflecting the period between
July and August 2019, which
showed that money was
allegedly transferred to the
wh i s t l e - b l ow e r ’s bank account,
and later to the ward
councillor’s account.
In a leaked letter dated
March 11, Vaaibom told the
MEC that the alleged kickback
was moved from the whistleb
l ow e r ’s to the councillor’s bank
account just hours after it had
been deposited on August 14
2019.
This happened while the
whistle-blower was in hospital
and the councillor allegedly had
access to his bank account.
Vaaibom called on Nqatha to
order a forensic probe into
Sauli’s alleged conduct.
Sauli is Vaaibom’s fellow
mayoral committee member
and is responsible for corporate
services.
On Monday, Sauli said she
was not aware of the letter to
Nqatha, nor the allegations
contained in it.
“Because I have not seen the
letter nor have any knowledge
about the allegations you say
are contained in it, I will not be
able to comment,” she said.
She later asked for questions
to be e-mailed to her for an indepth
response, but at the time
of writing on Monday she had
not replied.
Vaaibom on Monday
confirmed writing the letter to
Nqatha, saying this was after he
had been approached by a
Dimbaza township whistleblower,
who could not be
named as he could not be
reached for comment on
INTERVENTION: Cogta MEC Xolile Nqatha is being asked to
investigate corruption by a BCM ward councillor
Picture: MARK ANDREWS
M o n d ay.
He said the allegations were
brought to his attention by the
whistle-blower in late 2020, and
earlier in 2021 he had been
asked to bring the matter to the
attention of the MEC.
“The whistle-blower told me
that, while he was in the
hospital in August 2019,
R60,000 was [allegedly]
deposited into his account by a
service provider who was
working on one of the projects
in the ward.
“He told me that at the time
he was very close to the ward
councillor and that she had
access to his bank account
while he was in hospital.
“He said the amount was
transferred from his account the
next day and [allegedly]
transferred to the councillor’s
account without his knowledge.
“The whistle-blower told me
that he discovered this after he
had left the hospital and
checked his bank account
statements, which he had
since forwarded to me,
showing the transactions,”
Vaaibom said.
He said the whistle-blower
had also informed him that the
matter had been reported to
metro council speaker
Humphrey Maxhegwana’s
office and to law enforcement
agencies.
Maxhegwana could not be
reached for comment.
Vaaibom said even though
he had sent the letter to Nqatha
in March, and recently sent a
reminder to his office, he was
yet to receive a response from
the MEC’s office.
Nqatha’s spokesperson,
Makhaya Komisa, could not be
reached for comment on
Monday. - DispatchLIVE
WIN A FAMOUS BUFF LUNCH
ENTER NOW: The GO! & Express and Buffalo (Buffs) Club are running a competition where
readers stand a chance to win a set of double tickets for their famous Buffs Sunday lunch. Visit
www.goexpress.co.za for full competition details. Pictured is the club’s well-known Long Bar
Picture: MATTHEW FIELD