It was like a dark cloud over our lives, says Dr Sidima Kabanyane, the Drakenstein Municipal Manager who was suspended on 16 July during the reign of the DA-led coalition.
“I was surprised when everything started and I didn’t really know how to handle it. But it is a relief to me and my family now that everything is over.”
Kabanyane was reinstated at a council meeting on 25 October by Council after the ANC regained power.
“The DA coalition came to me with allegations against Khaya Mrali, head of corporate services, demanding that I suspend him.
I asked them for reasons, but the reasons they gave me did not convince me to suspend Mrali. Then councillors Deetlefs du Toit, Koos le Roux and Wilhelm Nothnagel started with their allegations and investigations and eventually suspended me.
”Du Toit, le Roux and Nothnagel came into my office and gave me a suspension letter and said they didn’t want me there.
”The first week went well and I tried to be brave. Time passed and I was not charged.
“Later things really started to hit me. I was traumatised because I was at home worrying about my job and I was not even fully briefed why I had been suspended.
“I started to talk to my wife, Gcwalisile. She was my real source of strength. She tried to distract me and cheer me up.
”I started to have sleepless nights and was exhausted in the mornings when I got up.
”It was very painful to see my wife asleep next to me and know that the whole neighbourhood was asleep and I couldn’t sleep.
“Most evenings I would fall asleep at four in the morning and at seven movement started in the house because the kids had to get ready for school.
“I had to see a psychiatrist to help me because I just could not take it anymore.
“My kids, Luyanda and Zuzulwazi, got support at their school. Kids can be so mean sometimes with each other, but this didn’t happen with my kids at their school.
“The waiting for the charges caused me much anguish. They just kept on saying that they would charge me.
Only after two months, when I forced them, they charged me and said an investigation would be done and then they would let me know when the hearing would take place. It never happened.
”When I was reinstated it was like a dark cloud that had been removed from my life. And the fact that Council will consider extending my contract is a reward that I did not expect.
“But I would never want to go through something like this again.”
Back in his office, Kabanyane also has big plans now for the municipality.
“The department head positions will be advertised and people will be employed permanently in this position. We cannot expect people to perform at their best if they are just appointed in an acting capacity.
“I have tried since last year to correct this, but there was a motion from the DA to stop it. They reckoned that a multi-party committee should be established and this committee should appoint a consultant to do this. It has never happened.
”We will correct this now and employ people permanently with the help of an assistant. The assistant will do the recruiting and shortlisting and I will oversee the whole process and make a recommendation. These positions might be filled by February next year.
“And with the department heads in place, the section head posts and all the other positions which are currently lacking permanent appointees, will be filled,” says Kabanyane with relief.
