False claims of an arrest tied to Emfuleni’s deepening R16 million “ghost fleet” scandal have ignited a political firestorm, with Executive Mayor Sipho Radebe condemning what he describes as a coordinated smear campaign against MMC for Finance Hassan Mako.
The controversy follows one of the municipality’s most explosive scandals, where millions of rand were allegedly spent on vehicles that were never delivered, cannot be traced, or became unusable. The crisis has been further overshadowed by the killing of municipal accountant Martha Mani Rantsofu, who was gunned down near a police station in Vanderbijlpark in March.
As speculation spread online, Radebe moved swiftly to shut down viral claims that Mako had been arrested in connection with the fleet matter.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Executive Mayor categorically states that Councillor Hassan Mako has not been arrested, nor is he, to the best of the Mayor’s knowledge and based on available information, a suspect or person of interest in relation to the forensic investigation concerning the fleet management matter.”
The mayor confirmed he had personally engaged Mako, who denied any involvement, while warning of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at misleading the public.
“These allegations are entirely false, baseless, and devoid of any factual or legal foundation,” he said.
But as the municipality attempts to contain the fallout, Mako has broken his silence, and his response points to deeper political tensions behind the controversy.
“I have already engaged my attorney to technically take down those that have been spreading malicious lies about my name,” he said.
He suggested the claims are being driven by internal political battles.
“I do know that it just comes from my own political detractors.”
While declining to name those responsible, Mako indicated that legal and cybercrime processes would be used to trace those behind the posts.
“I will not go into that, but at least with the legal steps that we will be taking, we will be able to handle whatever they could have posted on Facebook,” he said.
He also called for justice in the killing of his colleague, urging restraint as investigations continue.
“Let justice prevail, those that murdered the finance colleague could be apprehended… and wait for law enforcement to actually do its job,” he added.
Behind the political fallout, investigations into the fleet scandal are gathering pace. The municipality has opened a criminal case with documentation handed to the National Prosecuting Authority, while disciplinary processes are underway against officials and service providers implicated in the procurement saga.
At the same time, the municipality has pushed back against claims linking Rantsofu’s murder to whistleblowing, dismissing what it describes as “distorted facts and sensationalised narratives” and urging the public to avoid spreading unverified information.
Radebe’s office has warned that the spread of misinformation not only threatens individuals but also risks undermining ongoing legal processes.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za