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With new parties and council members taking up their seats, KZN CoGTA is not happy with the politically motivated termination of an experienced employee in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
This follows the Utrecht Municipality terminating their long-serving Acting Municipal Manager, Stanley de Klerk, for no apparent reason other than political.
The eMadlangeni Municipality’s Office of the Mayor explained that the decision stemmed from a Council Meeting on Thursday, 6 January 2022.
“Among other decisions taken, was the one relating to the termination of the employment contract of the Acting Municipal Manager, Mr SS De Klerk.”
However, with no apparent reason presented as to why the Acting MM was forced to resign, the Office of the Mayor highlighted that the decision to terminate the contract was taken in the Municipality’s best interest. “The decision was supported by the majority of Councillors and a new Acting Municipal Manager was appointed to resume duties as soon as possible, to lead the Municipal Administration.”
However, following the announcement from the Utrecht (eMadlangeni) municipality, Sipho Hlomuka, KZN MEC for CoGTA, expressed concern about the senior municipal officials being purged by newly elected incoming councils.
This has resulted in the KZN MEC going as far as to even call for an immediate stop to such practices.
“In an environment where capacity is notoriously lacking, we cannot have qualified officials purged from their managerial positions in municipalities only because they do not appear to fit the political profile of the newly elected councils. Such purges must stop with immediate effect,” he stressed.
In addition, KZN CoGTA maintained that municipal officials have constitutional rights like all other employees in the country. Rights which, Hlomuka emphasised, must be respected. “Officials can, of course, be dismissed as a result of dismissible offences, but perceived political affiliation cannot be one of them.”
Furthermore, KZN CoGTA appeared to be frustrated that so much of its time and energy was spent ensuring municipalities are adequately capacitated through the timely filing of critical vacancies. However, this is happening at a time when certain councils actively purge qualified and experienced senior municipal officials.
“While we recognise the new political makeup of KZN municipalities, following last year’s local government elections, this does not mean that the newly elected councils are free to do as they please, particularly when they deliberately diminish existing capacity through purges of qualified but inconvenient employees,” said Hlomuka.
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