City manager process mired in uncertainty
UNCERTAINTY has prevailed over the selection of a new City manager following the sudden postponement of the selection process yesterday.
An opposition party member said they were invited to observe the interviews for a new manager yesterday, which were supposed to start at 8am.
However, when they arrived at the venue, they were told the process had been postponed indefinitely.
Aljama party leader Ganief Hendricks said the DA caucus, led by Mayco member JP Smith, disagreed with Mayor Patricia de Lille’s panel selection.
DA leader in the province Bonginkosi Madikizela denied this, however, saying it had been postponed for procedural reasons.
City spokesperson Priya Reddy said there was no meeting to select a city manager and no candidates were shortlisted.
“The selection panel is still going to meet,” Reddy said.
Madikizela said: “The caucus and Mayco has questioned the process, and they have the right to question the process.
‘‘That is why it was postponed, because in terms of the process there were steps, according to them, the Mayco and caucus, that were not followed in terms of the process.
‘‘They don’t want this to be done, only to be challenged later because due processes were not followed.”
Hendricks said factionalism within the DA was the cause of the postponement.
The Cape Times has seen the communique that invited councillors from opposition parties to be observers during the process, which was supposed to happen in the Ray Alexander Boardroom.
Hendricks said he did not want to be a pawn in the latest undermining of the mayor’s office.
Hendricks said DA councillors wanted their preferred candidate appointed, and that would be unfair to the rest of the applicants.
“Why must we be pawns in the DA’s power struggle.
“They must sort out their political issues,” Hendricks said.
Former city manager Achmat Ebrahim tendered his resignation with effect from January 12.
In November, the council unanimously resolved that the City’s audit and performance committee be instructed to appoint an independent investigator to look into allegations against Ebrahim, commissioner of the transport and urban development authority Melissa Whitehead and Craig Kesson, executive director in De Lille’s office.