Kgalema Motlanthe to Lead Nelson Mandela Foundation Amid Scandal
- Ex-president Kgalema Motlanthe has been appointed as the head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation
- The Foundation has confirmed as much in a statement noting his appointment
- This comes after serious allegations were levelled against the Foundation's CEO and COO
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Former president Kgalema Motlanthe has officially taken over the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Source: Getty Images
A trustee of the Foundation, the former statesman is taking over from CEO Sello Hatang and COO Limpho Monyamane.
This move comes after board meetings held earlier this week determined the fates of the top executives amid internal allegations of illicit activity.
Sunday Times Daily recently reported that board chair Prof Njabulo Ndebele had received a letter detailing a toxic environment complete with procurement irregularities and the misuse of corporate credit cards.
In a statement issued by the Foundation over the course of the weekend, a leave of absence was confirmed:
“At its last meeting the board received a request for leave of absence from CEO Sello Hatang and COO Limpho Monyamane motivated by their desire to ensure the sanctity of the board-driven investigation process."
“The board, in the best interests of all concerned, accepted the requests.
However, the Foundation highlighted that this was in no way and indication of guilt with the outcome of an investigation pending.
As for the ex-president's appointment, the Foundation explained that Motlanthe will be assisted in this role:
“The interim leadership structure will oversee the foundation’s day-to-day activities and ensure its smooth running until the investigative process has been completed and the board has considered its findings,” said the statement.
In other news, Briefly.co.za reported that the Democratic Alliance has condemned allegations of Gwede Mantashe's links to a money laundering venture.
In a statement following a number of media reports detailing the alleged syndicate, Shadow Minister Kevin Mileham says he believes that Cyril Ramaphosa would be doing SA 'a great service' if he elected to axe his comrade:
“With this in mind, President Ramaphosa would be doing the country a great service by removing him from any position, including that of Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, where he can influence tenders or where his involvement in any way calls into question the legality and ethical management of government funds.”
The reports claimed that the Gwede Mantashe Foundation had a hand in a scheme involving numerous subsidiary companies.
The Minister's wife is also believed to had illegally benefitted from a government contract. Caswell Mokoena, COO of the Gwede Mantashe Foundation, was a director at Ntlokholo Investments.
This company received a number of questionable payments from Voltex, a Bidvest subsidiary. One of these payments, a cool R935 000, was intended as a donation to the Foundation.
Payments made to the COO were reportedly related to the National Solar Water Heating Programme, despite Ntlokholo not being involved in the tender. The project was administered by the Minister's own department, which in and of itself raises a number of questions over the situation.
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Source: Briefly News
