Cape Town - A senior DA at the Hessequa Municipality has been suspended following allegations that he stole prepaid electricity amounting to thousands of rand.
In the allegations first brought forward by a whistle-blower, Louw Saayman, head of the revenue department at the municipality, is alleged to have signed pre-paid electricity over to his account.
Saayman is a DA member and said to be ranking at the top in the management of municipal affairs.
The municipality confirmed his suspension on Thursday, adding an investigation into the allegations was under way.
“Mr Saayman has been suspended as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of an investigation into pre-paid transactions. No additional information can be provided at this time as the allegations are being investigated,” the municipality said.
The municipality also dismissed claims that it was on a “witch-hunt” for the identity of the whistle-blower.
Saayman declined to comment on Thursday, only saying: “Please contact the HR department at the municipality to get the correct and just information.”
Hessequa community activist Alexander Panzek said residents were losing patience in what he called a “toxic environment”, where irregularities seemed to be either “white-washed or made to disappear entirely”.
“It is worrying indeed what is happening at Hessequa Municipality. A top official is under investigation with no public statement from the municipality yet. That’s not all.
“When will municipal officials deal in a transparent manner with corruption, theft and mismanagement and not try to suppress such conduct to maintain their politically correct face?
“I am glad we have such brave whistle-blowers in South Africa, they are playing a vital role in exposing corruption, theft and mismanagement.
“Whistle-blowers need to be encouraged to report instances of fraud and corruption and need to be protected from victimisation, prejudice or harm,“ said Panzek.
DA provincial leader Tertuis Simmers said: “As the DA Hessequa constituency head, I was made aware of an alleged transgression by one of the municipal officials.
The municipality is busy with an internal investigation, and the implicated official has been placed on precautionary suspension.”
Hessequa municipality ANC councillor, Chris Taute, said: “Saayman was also the DA candidate for Ward 8 but lost against me. He is a high-profile DA official deployed in the municipality.
The Auditor-General’s people are currently in Hessequa to evaluate the municipality.
“Perhaps you should ask them how is it possible that Hessequa Municipality got eight clean audits already, while this pre-paid irregularity of Saayman is coming on for years now.
We just find out about the allegations after a whistle-blower reported the matter to me.
We went to the municipal manager afterwards but he only wanted to know who the whistle-blower was, as did the mayor,” Taute added.
Cape Times