Chris Pappas to be investigated for alleged nepotism
This week mayor Chris Pappas came under fire after he was accused of siphoning money to his fiancé’s NPO, uMngeni Tourism.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has ordered a thorough investigation into allegations of nepotism against uMngeni Local Municipality mayor Chris Pappas regarding uMngeni Tourism.
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This week Pappas came under fire after he was accused of siphoning money from the municipality through to his fiancé’s NPO, uMngeni Tourism by former DA member Sizwe Mchunu. UMngeni Tourism is reportedly chaired by Mayor Pappas’s fiancé, Jean-Pierre Prinsloo, receiving R100 000 in funding from Umngeni Municipality.
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CHRIS PAPPAS TO BE INVESTIGATED
In a letter to the Public Protector Mchunu requested that they investigate alleged nepotism and corruption happening within the uMngeni Municipality.
Mchunu also questions JP Prinsloo quick rise within the NPO, swiftly assuming the position of chairperson soon after his arrival.
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One of the allegations is a R100 000 cash injection the NPO received from the municipality just before it closed for the 2022 festive season.
“Besides this being a precedent that has never occurred in uMngeni Municipality, the amount granted to Prinsloo’s organisation far exceeds any of the grants given to the other entities advocating for exactly a similar venture” Mchunu said.
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Following the allegations, KZN COGTA spokesperson Siboniso Mngadi said while the department refrains from making judgments about the veracity of these allegations, there is concern.
“In accordance with our constitutional mandate, we have instructed relevant officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
“This investigation will enable us to address the issue promptly and effectively. Once the investigation is concluded, the department will take appropriate actions based on its findings,” he added.