Evidence wa ka Ngobeni
A top official at the Randfontein local council is being probed for running a moneylending agency through unauthorised staff salary deductions from the council’s office.
Randfontein’s acting town treasurer, Willem “Bossie” Bosman, is also being investigated for allegedly using council facilities to run his loan agency.
According to council officials, the agency, which imposed stiff monthly interest rates, has been in operation for more than six years and staff members owe Bosman sums as high as R10 000.
The agency, which used to operate from council premises, has now moved to a new office a few blocks from the council’s headquarters.
Bosman is allegedly deducting interest from staff members’ salaries and uses the council’s computer system to make transactions.
Despite numerous attempts to reach him for comment, Bosman failed to respond.
African National Congress constituency office representative in Randfontein Justice Makunyula said his office has been overwhelmed with complaints about the loan scheme.
In one of the worst cases, a staff member took home a salary of R10 after deductions were made on his salary of more than R3 000.
The deductions are reflected as “staff funds” in the salary slips, said Makunyula. “Where does this man get the authority to do all that? Staff members say that they never signed a stop order agreement,” said Makunyula.
An informal investigation by members of the council’s executive committee, chaired by the committee’s chair, Oscar Oliphant, was established to probe the matter.
Oliphant said a probe into individual cases in the loan scheme has been conducted in the past two weeks. The preliminary findings show that Bosman has no agreement with the council to deduct staff salaries. If found guilty Bosman may face a disciplinary inquiry and dismissal.