ANA reports that eThekwini Metro on Friday said it would be supplying the Auditor-General's (AG’s) team with municipal security after one of the auditors received death threats while auditing the city’s books.
The alleged threats, received on Tuesday via phone, saw the AG’s provincial office deciding to cease audits and withdraw its team on Wednesday. At a media briefing on Friday, city manager Sipho Nzuza said the metro would be supplying municipal security for the auditors and confirmed that the AG would also be supplying private security. He stressed that the audit would continue. Speaking at the same briefing, Mayor Zandile Gumede said: “We will not allow this situation to be left unattended. This issue must be dealt with and must not repeat itself. Organs of state, chapter nine and independent institutions, should be allowed to do their work without fear or favour.” "She added that they were in constant communication with the AG’s office and “we hope that by next week they will be back on site.” Chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on the Auditor-General, Vincent Smith, said on Friday that he was “extremely concerned” at reports of the death threats. The revelations about the threats were made public just a day after AG Kimi Makwetu released the 2016/2017 consolidated audit outcomes for municipalities, which showed serious regressions countrywide.
- Read this report in full at eNCA
- Read too, AG staff death threats: eThekwini mayor pledges full support for investigation, at News24
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