After more than R600 000 was found during a roadblock in the vehicle of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Northern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works, the CFO was placed on precautionary suspension pending an investigation.
The roadblock was held as part of Operation Shanela, an ongoing multi-disciplinary operation by the South African Police Service (SAPS), and was conducted on Thursday, 16 November during office hours on the N12 outside Kimberley.
After stopping and searching the vehicle, cash amounting to R679 200 was found and confiscated in the vehicle the CFO was driving, Sgt Dikeledi Gopane, communication officer of the SAPS said.
In a statement, the MEC for Roads and Public Works, Fufe Makatong, said the allegations are being taken very seriously, as such actions could unfairly cast the thriving department in a negative light.
Zandisile Luphahla, media liaison officer and spokesperson to the MEC, said the suspension is precautionary in nature, pending an internal review and external investigation into potential transgressions of financial protocols and codes of ethics for senior managers.
The department emphasises its commitment to transparency and accountable governance and will provide further updates once the investigation has concluded.
