Well, things have been a little bit heated for the past weeks. Hard for an outsider who has been here for only two months to understand what really is going on, or know rumors from truth, but here a couple of paragraphs from a news paper, the Herald, as to what is happening. It is a bit funny cause since Plett is so small, I have been in meetings with two of the three arrested men ;-), which makes it all the more interesting...
"THE Bitou council is reeling following the arrests yesterday of former municipal manager George Seitisho and former mayor Euan Wildeman on charges of fraud and theft.
The arrests come hot on the heels of violent unrest by residents of KwaNokuthula outside Plettenberg Bay last week to highlight alleged government corruption in the region, as well as the authorities‘ failure to stop it. Protesters destroyed a councillor‘s house, intimidated residents and threw stones at police, who closed the N2 highway at the entrance to the troubled township outside Plettenberg Bay. Three petrol bombs were thrown at Bitou councillor Mirriam Sishuba‘s house, completely gutting it, police said. The attack coincided with a work stay-away and followed similar petrol bombings in the township earlier this week.
The protesters blocked all vehicle access to KwaNokuthula with burning tyre barricades in Sishuba Street, which intersects with the N2.
The high-profile arrests coincided with the court appearance of local economic development officer Putco Maphitiza on charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and kidnapping after a man was attacked with a panga during the unrest over the weekend. He was released on a warning and will appear in the Plettenberg Bay magistrate‘s court next Thursday.
Both Seitisho and Maphitiza also have charges of malicious damage to property hanging over their heads in connection with unrest in KwaNokuthula in May. The two men, along with the mayor‘s political advisors Peter Lobese and Kenny Leluma, are facing charges after community members accused them of burning down their houses.
A so-called voluntary stay-away was called last Thursday by disgruntled community leaders who felt businesses were tacitly condoning council corruption by not checking how their rates were being used.
The stay-away turned violent when residents were intimidated and houses were petrol-bombed. Police reinforcements were called in and 26 people were charged with public violence and intimidation.
Seitisho, Wildeman: The case so far . . .
IN 2005, the Auditor-General accused George Seitisho and former mayor Euan Wildeman of using council credit cards for personal spending, of double claiming on a pricey overseas trip, and of hiring a luxury car for personal use in Johannesburg in 2003 while writing the cost off against an official function in Kranshoek.
The AG found that Bitou councillors were paid the salaries of executive committee members instead of ordinary councillors for more than six years. It found there was no indication that the council had taken steps to reclaim the money, which amounted to more than R500 000.
Other findings by the AG included that Wildeman and Seitisho notched up more than R100 000 in credit card expenses for which no invoices were submitted, that the council sold almost R250 000 worth of land for which there were no audit details, and that an official was allowed to take out vehicle loans from the municipality totalling more than his annual salary.
The report also said the Bitou municipality was unable to repay three loans totalling R21-million.
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