Municipality´s CFO resigns

The chief financial officer (CFO) of  the Makhado Municipality has resigned.

Mr Risimati Hitler Maluleke was to spend his last day as the local municipality’s CFO on 29 February. The reason for his resignation, given by Makhado Municipality spokesperson Mr Louis Bobodi, is that "he got an offer somewhere.” It would later come to light that Maluleke had apparently accepted the job as CFO of the Greater Giyani Municipality.

Both the DA and COPE welcomed the resignation of Maluleke after both parties had earlier called for the resignation of both the municipality's CFO and the municipal manager.

“The Makhado Municipality has once again received a disclaimer from the auditor general, which shows that the financial affairs of the municipality are in a poor state and have been for at least the last five years,” reads DA councillor Brian du Plooy's statement.

The current budget and the municipality's failure to implement that budget also came under scrutiny. “The current budget has yet again been adjusted by 17.6% on the budgeted operational income and the operational expenditure by 14.6%. The municipality undercollected revenue by R61 million. To have a budget year in and year out which cannot be implemented properly, just to be adjusted because of the incapacity of employees, is unacceptable,” Du Plooy said.

COPE said that the resignation of the CFO was long overdue. The resignation “is happening just after COPE has made a call for the CFO, municipal manager and mayor to resign. Both the CFO and the municipal manager have failed to give good and clean administration of the municipality and its finances. The mayor, on the other hand, has failed ... to provide strategic political leadership, which leaves the Makhado Municipality’s administration in chaos,” said COPE’s Vhembe regional chairperson, Mr Geoffrey Tshibvumo.

“Stop all cadre appointments!” was the urgent plea of Du Plooy.

The DA warned that there was “interference by certain political figures in the finances of the municipality. For their own political gain, they prevent the finance department from running smoothly. We need a capable CFO to be appointed to enforce and implement the correct and effective financial procedures and planning, which will result in good service delivery to all the citizens of Makhado Municipality,” Du Plooy said.

Tshibvumo said that COPE called upon the municipality to replace the CFO with a skilled, competent, accountable and responsible CFO. “The Makhado Municipality needs a CFO who has been baptized in a corruption-free pool. He or she must be a person who believes in clean governance. The ruling party must avoid patronage and look for competence,” Tshibvumo said.

Maluleke obtained his BCom degree in 1985 at the former University of the North, now the University of Limpopo. He worked as a business economist in the department of the Chief Minister of Gazankulu from 1991 to 1993. Thereafter he was appointed as assistant director of procurement, stores and transport in the office of the Premier. In 1997 he obtained a diploma in personal computing and a certificate in Pastel accounting through the Damelin School of Management.

From 2000 to 2002, Maluleke was responsible for supply chain management at Bushbuckridge Water. During this time he completed a course in basic finance through the Johannesburg School of Business and Finance, as well as a course in logistics and supply management through the University of Johannesburg. He was acting CFO  at Bushbuckridge Water until 2006, when he became a part-time trainer at Human Capital Management Services in Johannesburg. Maluleke was appointed CFO at the Makhado Municipality in 2008.

An acting CFO for the municipality is expected to be appointed this week.

Date:05 March 2012

By: Linda van der Westhuizen

Linda van der Westhuizen has been with Zoutnet since 2001. She has a heart for God, people and their stories. Linda believes that every person is unique and has a special story to tell. It follows logically that human interest stories is her speciality. Linda finds working with people and their leaders in the economic, educational, spiritual and political arena very rewarding. “I have a special interest in what God is doing in our town, province and nation and what He wants us to become,” says Linda.

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