Following reports that the Public Protector will re-investigate the probe into Madibeng Mayor Douglas Maimane’s charity golf day in 2022, the municipality said this week that the office of the mayor was made aware of the review of the investigation.
According to reports, the public protector (PP) will conduct another investigation after it was found that the PP’s North West office’s process was not fair and adequate.
Maimane was probed after hosting the event in December 2021 without council approval. A concerned resident lodged a complaint following the golf day, asking for the matter to be investigated because no council resolution was obtained to hold the event. Proceeds of the event were allegedly unaccounted for. The PP’s North West office absolved Maimane of any wrongdoing.
The resident was not satisfied with the outcome and wrote to the public protector’s head office requesting a review. The public protector said the matter had been assessed and the municipality had confirmed the event was a charity programme but no council resolution was obtained. A review application was granted after it was “found that the process adopted by the investigating team was not fair and adequate to address the allegations raised”.
Mayoral spokesperson Senzo Ncongolo said this week the mayor had no role in organising the programme. “The Executive Mayor was not involved in the organising of the programme as that function falls under administration functions. The programme was led by our then Acting Chief Financial Officer Mr Thapelo Molatlhegi and the matter was never brought before council because no municipal funds were spent on the golf day. No proceeds were expected from the programme,” he said.
“The programme was intended to mobilise entrepreneurs to buy sanitary towels and school shoes for needy children around Madibeng Municipality. Those who pledged to support the disadvantaged children were required to buy the needed school shoes or sanitary towels directly from retailers and drop them at the municipal offices for distribution.”