Fraud charges have been laid against an African National Congress (ANC) councillor in the Rustenburg municipality, the Independent Democrats (ID) said on Friday.
ID deputy-president Agnes Tsamai said she had laid charges against Jabulile Nxumalo on Monday.
She alleged Nxumalo was defrauding the municipality by holding two jobs.
Nxumalo is a member of the mayoral committee responsible for the integrated development plan in the Rustenburg local municipality, and she is also working as a provincial youth coordinator for the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.
The youth fund is run by national government and is tasked with funding youth entrepreneurship.
Tsamai said holding two jobs was against the code of conduct for councillors.
”According to schedule eight of the code of conduct for councillors, a full-time councillor should within 60 days declare her interests in writing to the municipal manager, one of which refers to a councillor having two jobs,” she said.
”Nxumalo failed to declare this so the ID brought forward a council motion to deliberate on the issue. During deliberations on this item 127, on May 30 2006, mayor Matthew Wolmarans told the council that Nxumalo’s contract with the youth fund was going to expire on November 30 2006.”
She said the mayor asked the council to give Nxumalo permission to hold two jobs until then. Although the ID voted against this, Nxumalo won a majority of votes.
”When her contract expired, she renewed it for another two years with the permission of the mayor.”
After fighting this issue for two years in council chambers, the ID has decided to lay fraud charges, she said.
Tsamai said if found guilty, Nxumalo would have to repay a total of R925 000 to the municipality to cover her council salary from November 1 2004.
Rustenburg police spokesperson Captain Elsabe Augoustides confirmed that a fraud case had been opened on Monday for investigation.
Municipal spokesperson Butler Matlapeng declined to comment on the matter, saying internal processes were unfolding. – Sapa