ActionSA to lodge complaint against Premier Ntuli over sports facilities corruption

ActionSA leader in KwaZulu-Natal, Zwakele Mncwango, says he will lodge a complaint with the Public Protector's Office against Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli and Sports, Arts and Culture MEC Mntomuhle Khawula for failing to act on the sports facilities corruption report findings.

The report, which was compiled in 2022, found that the Sports, Arts and Culture Department in the province paid millions of rand in the 2017/18 financial year to two municipalities for the construction of sports facilities; however, no facility was ever built.

The report, which Mncwango obtained through his sources, is currently a subject of fierce legal battle between the department and the suspended Chief Financial Officer Zinhle Buthelezi.

The department has charged Buthelezi for leaking the report to Mncwango or failing to find the person who leaked it.

The department hired a private legal firm to prosecute her, and on Monday, the legal team presented its final arguments, asking the hearing tribunal chairperson to find her guilty.

It argues that the report was leaked from her office. On Tuesday, Buthelezi’s attorney, Logan Naidu, was expected to give his final arguments.

Mncwango stated that Ntuli and Khawula are complicit in the corruption, arguing that they not only failed to act on the report, but also sat and watched as bystanders while the department’s Head, Dr Thobile Sifunda, persecutes Buthelezi for allegedly blowing the whistle on corrupt activities.

“I am contemplating not only taking the issue to the Public Protector but also to the Hawks (Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations). I wrote to the Premier last year, and he acknowledged the receipt of my letter but did nothing about this corruption.

“If Ntuli is serious about fighting corruption, he should have halted the disciplinary action against the CFO and instead directed Khawula to charge the implicated officials in the department who approved these payments without any progress report on the construction of these sports facilities,” said Mncwango.

He further stated that Dr Sifunda was supposed to be one to account for the payments to the municipalities since she was the HOD of Sports and Recreation when the payments were made, adding that instead, Khawula allowed her to be a player and a referee in the case since she is the complainant and also hired a private law firm to prosecute the CFO.

In the report, the department signed an agreement with municipalities to build sports facilities. The agreement was that the department would transfer funds to the municipalities, which would then hire contractors. The funds would be paid as per the phases of the work.

The report, which was compiled by the department's Internal Controls, found that the department paid R16 million for the construction of phase one in Umhlathuze Local Municipality in Richards Bay; however, only the guardhouse was half-built. 

In terms of the specification, the amount was for the guard house, electrical installations (high mast and flood lights), two combi courts (basketball and netball), as well as change rooms and ablution blocks. Despite phase one not being completed, the department also paid R7 million for phase two, which was never built at all.

Both the Premier's Office and the department have promised to respond by Tuesday, but have not yet done so at the time of publishing.

However, on Monday, both entities had promised to look into the matter.

Ntuli's office is already under scrutiny from the Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka over corruption allegations in the R100 million youth empowerment fund tender after Mncwango lodged a complaint.

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