Council to look into Fani’s record

ANDILE FANI

THE controversy surrounding Buffalo City Metro (BCM) boss Andile Fani takes centre-stage today when the council scrutinises his academic record and looks at whether they should continue providing him with security.

Two reports are expected to be tabled at the meeting. One will deal with his qualifications and the other will reveal that the metro has spent more than R1.1-million on his five bodyguards between March and November 2012.
Fani has had bodyguards since 2011 after he received threatening messages from people against his corruption-busting stance.
Today, Ncitha will table a report showing that in just nine months last year, the metro paid R671 799 in salaries, R176 068 for travelling and accommodation and R315 000 for car rentals for Fani’s two permanent and three temporary bodyguards.

In a letter attached to a confidential report prepared for this year’s first council meeting, Fani makes it clear he will not give executive mayor Zukiswa Ncitha the original certificates of his qualifications.
He was responding to a request from the mayor that he make his originals available to her office so they could be verified .
Neither Ncitha nor Fani could be reached for comment at the time of going to print last night.
The council documents show that Fani has a diploma in public management and administration and a certificate in municipal finance management.
In his job application he had also claimed to have a Bachelor of Technology degree in public management and administration.

The controversy around Fani’s qualifications was first raised early last year by Sonny du Plessis, a former council chief whip , who wrote to Ncitha asking her to make the records public.
This followed reports questioning the qualifications’ authenticity.
At this point the council resolved that Ncitha ask Fani to submit original certificates to a verification agent.
But on December 13, Fani wrote back telling Ncitha that certified copies of his qualifications were “easily accessible” in the municipality’s human resources department and that he was “uncomfortable” with providing original certificates. — asandan@dispatch.co.za