WEDNESDAY, 10.00AM
THE Motheo Construction company got praised on Tuesday before the Commission of Enquiry into the Mpumalanga rural housing fiasco. Former Nedcor credit manager, Kevin Gibb, testified Motheo still has one of the best formulas for the speedy delivery of low cost housing in South Africa.
He said Motheo is blameless, and was used as a pawn in the battle between minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele and ex-director-general Billy Cobbett. Gibb said he approves of Motheo’s low overhead costs and method of working on risk until projects are passed, and praised Motheo’s sole share-holder, Thandi Ndlovu, for her skills in public and political relations.
Meanwhile, housing minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele said former director-general Billy Cobbett had his contract “redetermined” and was given a severance package of R396 558,53.
Responding to questions from Democratic Party MP William Mnisi, that Cobbett resigned, and was not fired. Cobbett’s pay-off was equivalent to just over nine months of his usual monthly salary. Mnisi said he found her reply made it quite clear to him that Cobbett “did not jump, but was pushed.”