Manager gets his job back
2007-10-25
May Saal
THE ANC re-instated the suspended Drakenstein municipal manager, Dr Sidima Kabanyane, on Thursday last week.
To save themselves the embarrassment of a public discussion of their actions to suspend Kabanyane while they were in power, the opposition parties in die Drakenstein municipal council (DA, ID, FF, ACDP and WCC) walked out of the council meeting.
The ANC, which now has an outright majority after the floor-crossing period, was supported by the three NPP councillors in their decision to discuss the matter, normally considered confidential, in an open meeting.
The DA-coalition then asked to be excused from the meeting which they dubbed “illegal”.
“This meeting was not advertised in the newspapers as being open to the public. Will you at least advertise the meeting and re-schedule?” Deetlefs du Toit asked the Mayor, but in vain.
Mayor Charmaine Manuel said that a ruling had been made that the meeting would be open to the public and the media.
“But what happened here today is disturbing. People who voted for the opposition, must know that they didn’t have anybody to represent them today at this meeting.”
During the meeting, municipal manager Dr Sidima Kabanyane (who sat in the public gallery) was re-instated in his position.
All allegations, investigations and charges against him were withdrawn.
Allegations and investigations against the head of Co-operate Services, Khaya Mrali, and councillors Sharon Davids, Philmon Maxam (retired), Dan Kotze and Frans Koopman were also withdrawn.
It was also decided that the extension of Kabanyane’s employment contract be attended to by Council as a matter of urgency. His contract lapses in January.
Kabanyane was suspended on 16 July during the reign of the DA-led coalition.
The suspension was approved by deputy mayor Wilhelm Nothnagel (then ID) who was acting mayor in the absence of Koos Louw (DA).
Nothnagel has since joined the ANC and retained his position.
An emotional Nothnagel remarked during the meeting that the DA “always act in this way when they can’t have their way”.
“This is exactly what happened with the suspension of the municipal manager.
“They blackmailed me into signing the supension letter of Kabanyane and said either I signed or I had to go.
“This was a waste of four months with a wrong decision made,” Nothnagel said.
Manuel stated that, after the DA led-coalition took control of Drakenstein Municipality, a range of “disturbing events” had occurred.
“The first thing that the DA-led coalition did, was to institute a malicious witchunt against black officials in general and officials perceived to be aligned with the ANC in particular. They started with a campaign to discredit the municipal manager.
“What was even more disturbing was the fact that this action was taken during the time when Council was in recess and when the previous Mayor (Koos Louw DA), was on leave abroad.
“It seems that he left three councillors, namely Koos le Roux, Deetlefs du Toit and Johan Visser behind to do the dirty work.
“It is therefore our humble request that the Speaker investigate whether any of them contravened the councillor’s code of conduct with particular reference to their consultation with Council’s legal advisor on 25 June.”
Manuel said that investigations, would be undertaken regarding “unauthorised investigations” by the DA controlled coalition government and into the costs thereof.
“These investigations were never tabled at any council meeting, but the investigations still went on. The findings of our investigations will determine who is responsibble for the cost of their investigations,” Manuel said.
Said ANC provincial spokesperson, Garth Strachen, this week, “It is clear that the DA led-coalition spent R125 000 on unauthorised expenditure on legal fees in pursuit of its intention of dismissing Dr Kabanyane.
Mrali was investigated for allegations of irregularities in the appointment of ANC support staff and the acceptance of a paid trip to a soccer tournament in Egypt sponsored by service provider Absa.
Sharon Davids, Dan Kotzé, Frans Koopman and Philmon Maxam were to be investigated for alleged breaches of the code of conduct for councillors.
Said Deetlefs du Toit (DA) this week, “It seems that the Mayor is playing the race card to protect a comrade or comrades.”
“If there was no substances in the charges against Kabanyane or if the independent investigations proved to be unfounded, then justice would have prevailed.
“But stopping the investigations could in itself be a transgression of the code of conduct for councillors, tantamount to negligence,” Du Toit told Paarl Post this week.
In a statement, the DA called the reinstatement of Kabanyane made “a mockery of the principles of natural justice, transparency and our duty to ensure efficient administration of the Drakenstein municipality.
More
News
|
