FRED ESBEND, Port Elizabeth | Friday
SHORTLY after being voted South Africa’s top mayor in a survey by a business magazine, Port Elizabeth mayor Nceba Faku’s reputation has been tarnished by allegations that he misused council funds for his personal ends.
The Democratic Alliance this week revealed a staggering R87 000 discretionary fund splurge in the mayor’s discretionary fund. The DA claims the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan mayor used R27 439 to pay his private traffic fines and tuition fees for relatives.
When contacted for comment, Faku, who was at home off sick, refused to explain the expenditure. His annual salary package is R404 900.
The mayor’s discretionary fund was set up to assist welfare, sports or other deserving community structures or individuals, and the purchasing of mementos, gifts and other tokens of appreciation.
Faku allegedly used the fund to hire a wheelchair for his mother, paid tuition fees of R1 500 to Border Technikon for PS Faku, paid R393 in fees for T Faku at Russell Road College and paid R1 600 to One Way for driving lessons for Thobalani Faku.
An amount of R1984 was also allegedly spent on grocery shopping for the African National Congress Youth League.
Clothing, an air ticket and accommodation at Illovo Beach in KwaZulu-Natal for Faku’s wife Xoliswa was also paid for from the discretionary fund, the DA claimed.
DA leader Elizabeth Trent expressed her concern about the “appalling lack of disclosure” on how some of the money – listed as private expenses – was spent.
The United Democratic Movement and the Pan Africanist Congress have also called on Faku to explain his private use of the discretionary fund.