A TOP Mbombela municipality official who illegally awarded tenders worth R14-million, including a R700000 contract to former Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs captain Jimmy Tau, is back at work after his suspension was bungled.
The municipality's community services general manager Rasheed Matola, who is facing 28 charges of serious misconduct, has been on precautionary suspension since October last year.
It is unclear what Jimmy Tau Investments was awarded the contract for but, according to Matola's charge sheet, Matola irregularly, wrongfully and unlawfully appointed the company in contravention of supply chain management rules and the Municipal Finance Management Act.
Sowetan understands that the contract awarded to Tau's company relates to Mbombela's hosting of Africa Cup of Nations games early last year.
The charge sheet, which Sowetan has seen, says Matola's action made the municipality incur irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounting to about R700000.
According to records kept by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, Tau's company is in the process of being deregistered.
Its industrial classification code states that it is involved in "private households, exterritorial organisations, representatives of foreign governments and other activities not adequately defined".
The 34-year-old former right back is the sole director of Jimmy Tau Investments.
Tau failed to respond to questions yesterday.
Matola, who earns more than R1-million a year, was asked to make representations on why he should not be suspended. In February, he was served with charges and told his disciplinary hearing would start the following month.
Matola's suspension was until the end of September, but by October no action had been taken against him.
The SA Municipal Workers Union, of which Matola is a member, referred the matter for dispute resolution citing unfair labour practice. Matola won the case, but the municipality failed to comply with the ruling. It later asked him to return to work but not go to his office.
Last month, Matola was placed on precautionary suspension again, this time until the end of December. The suspension was declared unlawful by the Labour Court on November 10.
Judge Edwin Molahlehi set aside the municipality's decision to place Matola on special leave and ordered that he be allowed to resume his duties immediately.
Matola did not respond to requests for comment yesterday but his secretary told Sowetan he was on leave.
sidimbal@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Tau caught up in dodgy Mpumalanga tender
A TOP Mbombela municipality official who illegally awarded tenders worth R14-million, including a R700000 contract to former Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs captain Jimmy Tau, is back at work after his suspension was bungled.
The municipality's community services general manager Rasheed Matola, who is facing 28 charges of serious misconduct, has been on precautionary suspension since October last year.
It is unclear what Jimmy Tau Investments was awarded the contract for but, according to Matola's charge sheet, Matola irregularly, wrongfully and unlawfully appointed the company in contravention of supply chain management rules and the Municipal Finance Management Act.
Sowetan understands that the contract awarded to Tau's company relates to Mbombela's hosting of Africa Cup of Nations games early last year.
The charge sheet, which Sowetan has seen, says Matola's action made the municipality incur irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounting to about R700000.
According to records kept by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, Tau's company is in the process of being deregistered.
Its industrial classification code states that it is involved in "private households, exterritorial organisations, representatives of foreign governments and other activities not adequately defined".
The 34-year-old former right back is the sole director of Jimmy Tau Investments.
Tau failed to respond to questions yesterday.
Matola, who earns more than R1-million a year, was asked to make representations on why he should not be suspended. In February, he was served with charges and told his disciplinary hearing would start the following month.
Matola's suspension was until the end of September, but by October no action had been taken against him.
The SA Municipal Workers Union, of which Matola is a member, referred the matter for dispute resolution citing unfair labour practice. Matola won the case, but the municipality failed to comply with the ruling. It later asked him to return to work but not go to his office.
Last month, Matola was placed on precautionary suspension again, this time until the end of December. The suspension was declared unlawful by the Labour Court on November 10.
Judge Edwin Molahlehi set aside the municipality's decision to place Matola on special leave and ordered that he be allowed to resume his duties immediately.
Matola did not respond to requests for comment yesterday but his secretary told Sowetan he was on leave.
sidimbal@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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