THE Inxuba Yethemba municipality (IYM) executive mayor Ray Shweni, as well as council whip Thembisile Bobo, officially resigned yesterday, 26 February, during a council meeting held in Cradock.
This followed pressure placed upon them following a report from the public protector, as well as internal and external interventions by the Democratic Alliance and the community at large.
Last year, public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found Shweni and other councillors guilty of misappropriating public funds. Mkhwebane stated in her report that Shweni and other involved ANC councillors were guilty of “irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure”.
As remedial action, a special committee had to be established by IYM speaker, Maria Nortjé, to investigate whether the conduct of Shweni was in breach of the code of conduct for municipal councillors in terms of the Municipal Structures Act.
“It is a huge victory not only for the DA who fought relentlessly for justice, but even more so for democracy and transparency in all municipal procedures, which was not upheld by the mayor and council whip,” Monde Desha, DA caucus leader of IYM, told Komani-Karoo Express.
