Endumeni municipal manager quits amid corruption claims

A municipal manager implicated in alleged fraud and corruption in the troubled Endumeni municipality in KwaZulu-Natal has resigned with immediate effect.

Sithembiso Ntombela tendered his resignation on Friday.

Ntombela is implicated in allegations of fraud and corruption relating to a multimillion-rand security tender that was controversially awarded to FBL security company from Newcastle.

Endumeni awarded the tender to FBL without following proper bidding processes. The council hand-picked FBL without proper processes on the basis that the appointment was urgent.

KwaZulu-Natal co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi had issued a section 106 report with remedial actions after a forensic investigation into the FBL tender allegations.

Buthelezi in March gave Endumeni 21 days to act against those implicated, which has since lapsed with no action having been taken. Instead, Endumeni speaker Andile Nsibande asked for an extension for the council to look at the report, which was granted.

Nsibande confirmed Ntombela has resigned with immediate effect from the council. He said Ntombela did not provide any reasons for his resignation.

Contacted for comment, Ntombela confirmed he had resigned, saying he was “moving on to greener pastures”.

Asked if he was not worried since he had resigned amid the allegations, Ntombela said the report implicating him was “neither here nor there since it has not yet been discussed”.

Endumeni is one of the worst-performing municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal and has received a disclaimer audit report from auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke.

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