PHILLIP NKOSI, Piet Retief | Monday
HIGH-flying Piet Retief mayor Andries Gamede, who is facing an investigation into false expense claims – and a R500000 lawsuit for unfair dismissal – is throwing a bumper year-end party for local councillors with about R70000 of unbudgeted taxpayers’ money.
Gospel singer Rebecca Malope has been offered R27900 to perform at the party on November 26 at eThandukukhanya Stadium. The diminutive gospel singer’s stage will be decorated with flowers worth R800.
Gamede, an African National Congress (ANC) mayoral candidate in the coming local elections, and a clique of VIPs will enjoy food and drinks totalling R8 000 inside hired tents which cost R12000.
The “masses”, meanwhile, will be catered for at a cost of R10000.
Gamede is the second Mpumalanga mayor to become embroiled this month in controversy over throwing an elaborate bash, after the mayor of bankrupt Bethal was criticised for hosting an exclusive party in honour of the province’s controversial director general, advocate Stanley Soko.
Gamede has been severely criticised by opposition members for wasting taxpayers’ money.
Last week, before he left for an overseas trip, he asked the Piet Retief council to approve R69450 for the party.
Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Rob Wilson and other opposition party members voted against the allocation, but were outvoted by the ANC by two votes.
The Mpumalanga town’s former chief executive officer, Teddy Khoza, has filed a R500000 lawsuit against Gamede.
Khoza was fired three months ago after being accused by Gamede of being a “womaniser and drunkard who drinks in township sheebens”.
Now Khoza is claiming the mayor was instrumental in his unfair dismissal. Khoza could not be reached for comment.
The DA also called for an urgent commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of false expense claims by Gamede.
The DA alleges the mayor abused his travel allowance by occasionally claiming more than R20000 a month.
Gamede allegedly made the claims for travelling to Secunda to attend Highveld Ridge District Council meetings, where he is a deputy chairperson. According to Kevin Evans, the DA’s deputy chairperson in the district council, Gamede has been making the claims though he receives a monthly salary of more than R30000.
The DA is also investigating more than R200000 spent by Gamede and four other executive members of the district council on what they called an “investment mission” to China in September. – African Eye News Service