SowetanLive reports that the Emfuleni local municipality has spent more than R1.6m on its chief financial officer (CFO) Andile Dyakala, who has been suspended for more than a year.

The municipality has also spent more than R6m in legal fees in relation to the suspended CFO’s case. This was revealed by Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Mzi Khumalo in a written reply to questions from the DA in the provincial legislature. Since his suspension in March last year, Dyakala has been on the payroll of the municipality and the institution has paid him R1,614,747 in remuneration while he sat at home. Khumalo also confirmed that the municipality had spent R6,479,606 in legal fees for Dyakala’s case. But, Khumalo reported that R450,570 was recovered from Dyakala during the legal battle process. Dyakala was suspended after facing allegations of unlawful extension of contracts of employees in political offices, financial misconduct amounting to wasteful and fruitless expenditure, and derogatory statements on social media about senior political leaders. DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala said it was unacceptable that the municipality had spent millions on Dyakala at the expense of provision of basic service delivery.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Koka at SowetanLive

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