Finca wants results of TLC probe

EAST LONDON -- The Heath Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is to be approached for information on transitional local councils (TLC) under investigation, provincial chief electoral officer Bongani Finca said here yesterday.

The SIU named 16 TLCs in the Eastern Cape being investigated for a number of alleged offences, including mismanagement, misappropriation of funds, invalid or irregular lease of property and failure to collect rates and taxes.

Those being investigated are Butterworth, Bedford, Cala, Cofimvaba, Despatch, Hamburg, Komga, Port St Johns, Sterkspruit, Umtata, Tsomo, Qumbu, Ngqamakwe, Klipplaat, Lusikisiki and King William's Town.

Mr Finca said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) wanted to find out from the SIU what progress it had made regarding probes.

The IEC move comes in the wake of a call by some political parties in the party liaison committee (PLC) that TLCs under investigation for serious offences should not run the elections.