The Northern Province is witnessing an extraordinary fight between two of it’s provincial officials, writes Marion Edmonds
TWO senior ANC officebearers in the Northern Province are publicly trading accusations over alleged irregularities linked to the Semenya investigation into corruption in the province.
The speaker of the provincial legislature, Robert Mathavi, claims the finance MEC, Edgar Mushwana, attempted to bribe him to withhold evidence from the investigation.
Mushwana denies the charge, suggesting instead that Mathavi has abused his position and taken funds under the legislature’s control for his personal use.
The fight comes as political players in the province try to cushion themselves against the imminent release of advocate Ismail Semenya’s findings. The investigation was established to probe plans to build a
R97-million luxury parliamentary village and government complex in Pietersburg, and the acquisition of expensive property.
Its report, understood to be damning of senior officials in the provincial government, is due to be released later this month.
Mathavi claimed this week that Mushwana had approached him prior to the Semenya hearings, accused him of misusing funds in the legislature’s care, and suggested the two should co-operate in a cover up.
“I said to him, `I am not interested in any problems — I am not going to succumb to you because if I do, than you will blackmail me for the rest of my life,'” Mathavi said. “I knew he did not want me to go before the commission.”
Mathavi’s submission to Semenya panned Mushwana’s handling of the project, alleging that he illegally appointed developers to build the complex.
“I approached him about this inconsistent application of Treasury instructions and when I showed him the letter … disproving the virement (transfer) of similar committed funds … he immediately saw that they have committed the worst blunder in their handling of financial management control systems. There was no room for backpeddling,” Mathavi’s submission said.
But Mushwana denies Mathavi’s bribery accusation, saying Mathavi refused to cooperate when he tried to probe alleged irregularities relating to the speaker’s administration.
In his submission to the hearing this week, Mushwana insinuated that Mathavi abused his position, after an insurance pay-out of
R929 000 was banked by the legislature following the death of an MPL last August. He also accused Mathavi of borrowing R15 000 illegally from the legislature without intending to pay it back, and claiming expenses that he ought not have done.
“In dealing with colleagues, I don’t look at faces, I look at rules,” Mushwana said. “I try to manage things with my head and not my heart. It’s regrettable that instead of answering to our inquiry, he raises these things before the Semenya commission which was not even within the terms of reference of the commission.
“Against my will, I was forced to respond to the allegations made against me, and that is why I gave details of the administrative problems.”
Mathavi says he is paying back the loan, albeit a little late. The matter has been referred to the auditor general’s office.
He said he had also instructed a legal firm to set up a trust fund for the two children of the deceased MPL with the permission of the courts.
Mushwana has not yet adequately explained how the money for the complex was shifted without the legislature’s approval. “On whether the R97-million has been approved or not, I would prefer not to deal with this matter in detail, save to say that in my opinion the said virement has been done in accordance with applicable rules and procedures,” he said in his submission.
The fight appears to be exacerbated by personality differences: Mushwana, a former businessman, is flamboyant and easy-going, Mathavi, a former public servant from Gazankulu, is said to take his position seriously and lord it over his colleagues.
Premier Ngoako Ramathlodi will have to act swiftly and decisively to stop the rot and defuse growing tension among ANC provincial leaders once Semenya delivers the findings.
One of his stated priorities has been to prevent ethnic and political tensions further dividing the ANC in the poorest province. There is a rift in the ANC political leadership between Ramathlodi, who heads the provincial government, and George Mashamba, who is party chairman.
Ramathlodi is taking advice from President Nelson Mandela’s office as to how best to handle the issue of irregularities, which may see him sacking some of his closest allies. The interim report of the commission has already been deemed too sensitive to be made public but is known to recommend a purge of senior officials.