GWAMANDA GETS CUFFED FOR FRAUD

Mon 21 October 2024:

He may have worn mayoral chains until recently, but on Friday Kabelo Gwamanda got handcuffs. The former mayor, and current mayoral committee member, was arrested for fraud. He was later released on bail.

Gwamanda handed himself over to police after an investigation by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed his arrest, News24 reported.

Just days after becoming mayor of the deteriorating city, the Al Jama-ah deployee faced intense scrutiny over his past.

It was alleged that he ran an insurance scam in which he would collect monthly contributions from Soweto residents. Then he disappeared.

Desperate victims, after knocking on locked doors, eventually learnt the directors of iThemba Lama Afrika – Gwamanda being one of them – had died … Until Gwamanda showed up on their television screens as the mayor of South Africa’s economic capital.

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While reaffirming its “respect for the rule of law and judicial processes as demonstrated by MMC Gwamanda”, his party questioned the timing of his arrest.

“We are, however, surprised by the timing of the law enforcement at the time of councillor Gwamanda’s appointment to the GNU Clearing House Committee and on the eve of the highly contested street renaming from Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive,” it said.

Wayne Duvenage, CEO of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), expressed concern about the developments and pressed for Gwamanda to give up his seat on the mayoral committee.

“We believe that while the rule of law is playing itself out, the City must rid itself of people of Gwamanda’s ilk and his wrongdoing. He should either step down or the mayor should fire him,” he said, noting that it was unlikely either option would materialise due to party considerations.