Investigation Into Trust Fund Leads to Arrests

Webblad: www.potchefstroomherald.co.za 29 Oktober 2020 Free Stem VF Plus vir 'n beter Wyk 5 11 November 2020 Sien ons advertensie op bl. 5 End of the road? Investigation into trust fund leads to arrests The executive mayor, Kgotso Khumalo, appeared in court on charges of theft Photo: Dustin Wetdewich 2 www.potchefstroomherald.co.za Potchefstroom Herald 29 Oktober 2020 Cyril Henry and Kgotso Khumalo.Photo: Selogile Leshage Mayor and senior officials charged with theft and fraud Venessa van der Westhuizen director of community services, Cyril Khumalo and Henry appeared in the The three suspects have not been Henry, and the caretaker of the Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court on detained and will appear in court Since last Friday (23 October), the recreation and sports facilities, Friday (23 October) and Shuping again on 1 December, provided they Hawks have arrested the former Mohau Shuping, on charges of theft handed himself over on Monday, (26 don’t come near the municipal build- executive mayor, Kgotso Khumalo, the and fraud. October). ings or contact a list of witnesses involved in the case. According to the spokesperson of the municipality, William Maphosa, the mayor was on leave at the time of his court appearance and had appointed the MMC of Finance, Kelvin Johnson, to act on his behalf. Johnson, a cousin of Cyril Henry, will serve in the position of executive mayor until 15 November 2020. Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso, the provincial spokesperson of the Hawks in the North West, said the arrests emanate from a Hawks’ commercial crimes investigation into a trust account. Approximately R5 million, intended for the J.B. Marks municipality, was deposited, but the funds were never declared to the Auditor-General. Continued on page 3. 29 Oktober 2020 Potchefstroom Herald www.potchefstroomherald.co.za 3 Continued from page 2 According to him, the funds were The Herald previously investigated paid in the form of a loan, which that the trust fund was held by one was reportedly settled in full. of the municipality’s local lawyers. When the Herald spoke to the Some of the money that was paid owner of the catering company, into the trust account comes from a however, she had no recollection of rental agreement between the muni- the money. She said her company cipality and a mining company. had never done any business for that According to documentation, the amount. agreement between the municipality The municipality also came under and the company is for R1 million fire from the late MEC for Cooperati- per year, escalating at eight per cent ve governance and traditional affairs, per year since July 2017. Last year, Gordon Kegakilwe, who called for Lebu Ralekgetho,the municipal investigations into these serious manager, explained that the funds allegations. were ring-fenced for local economic The DA constituency head of J.B. development to ensure that funds Marks, Chris Hattingh, says Khu- earmarked for service malo should tender his resignation delivery with immedi- aren’t used ate effect, for the following his purposes arrest by the of marketing He should also Hawks. “It is the city and out- securing rageous that events. have reported the ANC According to claims to be him, the funds shocked at are being held taxpayers’ funds the arrest of in trust as the‘ its deployed municipality’s being held cadres when lawyer is in the DA has the process of repeatedly collecting the illegally in a alerted the outstanding party to amounts due financial to the council lawyer’s trust misconduct, by the mining implicating rights holder. the mayor “The at- account and J.B. torney reports Marks to council on officials. the progress of the matter monthly. “If Kelvin Johnson, as the member Their trust funds are also subject to responsible for finance, was capable trust audits on a quarterly basis as of fulfilling this important responsi- part of governing laws applicable to bility, he would have known of the trust accounts. All municipal fi- fraud, theft and corruption through- nances are also audited annually, as out his term of office, but failed to legislated,” he said in 2019. report it to the council. A staggering R161,329.82 from the He should also have reported trust fund was spent on sending a taxpayers’ funds being held illegally delegation to Durban. Mohau Shu- in a lawyer’s trust account and ping was part of this delegation. Part payments made directly from it, of this four-day trip was spent at the evading the council’s fi- Durban July. Shuping posted photos nancial system and the Auditor- of himself at the event on Facebook. General’s audit.” He has since removed them from his The VF Plus also demands the profile. resignation of the executive mayor, When the editor of the Herald, saying the residents of Potchefstroom Dustin Wetdewich, approached him and Ventersdorp have had to watch for his comment on the trip, he their once-proud towns system- replied with a picture of Dustin and atically falling into disrepair for far his two under-aged children – a too long, under the rule of Khumalo gesture that was interpreted as a and the ANC. thinly-veiled threat. Shuping was asked for comment as he had atten- ded the Durban July but did not work in the local economic development sub-unit. Money from the fund was meant to be ring-fenced for local economic development. After the articles were published, Shuping, through a lawyer, deman- A breakdown of how R161 329.82 was spent on a trip to Durban in 2019 using money ded that the Herald retract an article from the trust fund stating that he had threatened Wetdewich. He denied that he had any intention of doing so. Ralekgetho, defended the trip, stating that it was part of an exten- ded trip to KwaZulu-Natal, in line with the city’s strategy of positioning itself as a mecca for sports, arts and culture. It was also supposed to establish J.B. Marks as the desti- nation of choice for sports camps for international and national teams and arts and cultural events. He also promised to present a report on the trip at the next council meeting. To date, no such notice has been discussed by the municipal council. In October 2019, the Herald reported that the executive mayor had approved a special local economic development (LED) project in Ventersdorp with funding from the same trust account. An amount of R100,000 was paid into the account of a catering company. He undertook to refund the money. In 2019, the A Facebook post made by Shuping while mayoral spokesperson said the the at the Durban July, he has since removed money had already been refunded. the photos from his profile 4 www.potchefstroomherald.co.za Potchefstroom Herald 29 Oktober 2020 Potchefstromers wat aan die vertaling van die Bybel gewerk het, is van links: Proff. Jorrie Jordaan, Paul Kruger, Fika Janse van Rensburg, Francois Viljoen en Johan Blaauw. Voor staan dr. Marietjie Nelson. Afwesig: Proff. Pierre Jordaan, Heilna du Plooy en Marlies Taljard. Foto: Venessa van der Westhuizen Abraham praat nou vlot Afrikaans Venessa van der Westhuizen vertaling en nie of dit reg vertaal is Die proses het begin met kerke teruggegaan om daaraan te werk. nie. Elke vertaling moet vir die regte wat vertalers moes voorstel. Hulle is Die die opdrag was uiteindelik dat Die nuutste vertaling van Die Bybel doel aangewend word.” almal gekontak om vas te stel wat die vertalers by ‘n vloeiende, goeie in Afrikaans is reeds sedert 18 Nadat die versoek van die sinode elkeen se spesialiteit is. “Teoloë het Afrikaans moes uitkom,” vertel prof. Oktober op die rakke. Min mense vir ‘n nuwe vertaling aan die Bybel- elkeen ‘n spesialiteit. So was prof. Du Plooy. weet egter dat die inisiëring van dié genootskap van Suid-Afrika gerig is, Fika Janse van Rensburg deel van ‘n Nadat die redaksiekomitee klaar vertaling, soos met die 1933/53-ver- het dit sowat 12 jaar geneem voor- boekspan wat die twee briewe van is, is die proefvertaling aan die taling waaraan Totius gewerk het, in dat daar in 2006 uiteindelik met die Petrus vertaal het, prof. Francois lesers in die gemeentes uitgestuur Potchefstroom ontstaan het en dat vertaling begin is. Prof. Jordaan was Viljoen was by die evangelie van om ook hulle kommentaar te kry. verskeie eksegete, literators, taalkun- deel van die aanvanklike komitee Markus betrokke. Ek het aan die Dié kommentaar moes weer be- diges en kommunikasiekundiges van wat die voorstel in 1996 vir die Johannes evangelie en briewe, spreek en verwerk word. Potchefstroom aan die nuwe verta- eerste keer aan die Bybelgenootskap Openbaring en Hebreërs gewerk, Die norm van die 2020-vertaling: ling gewerk het. van Suid-Afrika voorgelê het. In prof. Paul Kruger het op die boek- Die norm van dié vertaling was Die ontstaan van die nuwe 2004 was hy deel van ‘n loodskomi- span van Samuel gewerk, prof. dat die vertalers nie moet interpre- vertaling: tee wat al die kampusse in Suid- Herrie van Rooy het aan die Psalms, teer nie, maar direk uit die oor- Prof. Jorrie Jordaan, afgetrede Afrika besoek het om die idee van Esegiël, Jesaja, Esra en Nehemia spronklike teks moet vertaal. So is professor aan die Fakulteit Teologie die nuwe vertaling te verduidelik. gewerk, prof. Marius Nel was in die mates, gewigte en range nie na die aan die Noordwes-Universiteit, sê die Bybelgenootskap doen markna- boekspanne van Daniël en Miga en moderne weergawe vertaal nie. ‘n nuwe vertaling was vir die eerste vorsing: prof. Pierre Jordaan was by die Centurion is byvoorbeeld nie dieself- keer ‘n besprekingspunt op die Die Bybelgenootskap het op hulle vertaling van die Apokriewe boeke de as ‘n kommandant nie.

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