A former manager of Phokwane Local Municipality was convicted of fraud and the contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act in the Kimberley Serious Commercial Crimes Court.
Tiro Ramatlhatse/Gallo Images/Sowetan
A former municipal manager has been found guilty of fraud, after giving herself an unauthorised salary increase, and signing off on car and travel allowances for municipal staff without following the required procedures.
Advocate Matshidiso Cordelia, 53, the former manager of the Phokwane Local Municipality, was convicted of fraud and the contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) in the Kimberley Serious Commercial Crimes Court. The municipality is situated in Hartswater in the Northern Cape.
Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe, said Cordelia issued instructions to the municipal payroll accountant in 2018 for the payment of car and travel allowances to 13 employees without following the applicable procedures.
According to Thebe, she “was found to have disregarded the moratorium of the municipal council that was in place at that time”.
“In addition, Cordelia unlawfully increased her remuneration package and implemented a 4% rural allowance without informing council or obtaining authorisation from the Member of Executive Council (MEC) of Coghsta (Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs) in the Northern Cape, as required. All increases were backdated to July 2017, resulting in the municipality suffering substantial losses.”
The matter was postponed to 8 April for a pre-sentencing report and sentencing.
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