Courts & Legal
Mayor accused of blocking explosive R1.8bn Ekurhuleni toilet tender report
A report that never reached the chamber
In Ekurhuleni, the silence around a R1.8 billion chemical toilet contract is growing louder by the month. At the centre of it all is Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, now accused by councillors and opposition leaders of deliberately keeping a critical forensic report away from the council and the public eye.
The document in question was compiled by the late Mpho Mafole, the metro’s head of corporate and forensic audits. It allegedly details irregularities linked to the controversial chemical toilets tender. Mafole submitted the report just days before he was shot dead in June last year while driving on the R23 near Esselen Park. His killing, widely described as a targeted hit, sent shockwaves through the municipality.
Months of waiting and rising frustration
According to multiple councillors who spoke anonymously, the mayor was meant to table the report within 90 days of receiving it. Seven months on, that has still not happened. The delay has fuelled anger and suspicion inside council chambers.
Some councillors claim the report was sanitised and whitewashed before being buried, raising fears that crucial findings may never be scrutinised publicly. Others are asking a blunt question that now echoes across political corridors and WhatsApp groups. What is in that report that cannot be seen?
Fear after a killing
Mafole’s murder appears to have cast a long shadow over the metro. Councillors say a climate of fear has taken hold, with officials hesitant to raise concerns or push for accountability. The reluctance to question why the report remains untabled is, according to insiders, less about procedure and more about personal safety.
Behind closed doors, some believe the report may implicate powerful figures or expose networks the mayor is protecting. These claims remain unproven, but the lack of transparency has allowed speculation to thrive.
Opposition pressure and unanswered requests
The Democratic Alliance has formally tried to access the report through a Promotion of Access to Information Act application. Brandon Pretorius, the party’s Ekurhuleni caucus leader, says their request has been stonewalled, adding another layer to accusations that the mayor is actively blocking disclosure.
On social media, residents have voiced frustration over yet another municipal scandal involving basic services. For many in informal settlements, chemical toilets are not an abstract budget line but a daily reality tied to dignity and health. The idea that a R1.8 billion contract could be mishandled and then hidden has struck a nerve.
A mayor under multiple clouds
The controversy comes at a difficult time for Xhakaza, who has also faced public scrutiny over revelations that he was present at the scene of DJ Bongani Mfihlo’s murder at a Kempton Park nightclub in September 2023. The mayor has dismissed any alleged links to that killing as defamatory.
His spokesperson, Ramatolo Tlotleng, has promised a response to claims that the toilet tender report is being kept under wraps. At the time of publishing, that response had not materialised.
Why this matters beyond politics
This is not just about council processes or political point scoring. It is about whether municipalities can investigate themselves honestly and whether officials who dig too deeply are protected or silenced. In a province where corruption fatigue runs deep, the fate of Mafole’s report has become a symbol of a larger struggle for accountability.
Until the report is tabled, questions will linger. So too will the uncomfortable reminder that in Ekurhuleni, a document meant to shed light on public spending arrived just before its author was killed, then quietly disappeared from view.
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Source: The Citizen
Featured Image: News24
