Council chief whip in row over two jobs

TENSIONS are running high in Mnquma municipality over the council chief whip’s two jobs.

Councillor Thobakazi Ntanga – the Mnquma municipal chief whip – was seconded to the position fulltime by former local government (now cooperative governance) MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane.

However, Ntanga also works as the municipality’s representative in the Amathole District Municipality.

In many municipalities, only part-time councillors are deployed to district councils.

Ntanga’s full-time status was gazetted in Provincial Gazette No 2939 on March 19 2013.

According to the Municipal Systems Act a full-time councillor “may not undertake any other paid work, except with the consent of a municipal council which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld”.

When phoned this week, Ntanga admitted she was indeed working for both councils and apart from her Mnquma salary she receives a stipend from Amathole. Her stipend is R850 for each meeting she attends. “If you are a full-time councillor you can attend sittings in the district municipality. I am not getting a salary, I just get a stipend for each meeting I attend.”

Ntanga declined to comment further, saying the Daily Dispatch should consult the regional leadership.

Ntanga is not the only full-time councillor to have worked two jobs. PEC member and former Alfred Nzo district municipality deputy mayor Sandile Sello almost got into hot water after he was appointed as a mayoral committee member in Alfred Nzo while heading another portfolio at Matatiele municipality.

Mnquma municipality confirmed Ntanga’s status as a full-time councillor but said she should have resigned from the district municipality.

Spokeswoman Sinethemba Jenkins’ e-mailed response read: “Yes, our chief whip councillor Ntanga was elected and appointed as chief whip of Mnquma local municipality council on the August 6 2014.

“She is the chief whip of council and is aware her position as the political office-bearer is full-time and therefore she should have resigned as a deployed councillor at Amathole District Municipality.

“There is no shortage of councillors and as the chief whip she must have given guidance to council for the deployment of another councillor.”

ANC regional secretary in Amathole Teris Ntuthu said the organisation would contact the chief whip in the district to get more information about Ntanga’s “double parking”.

“If there is contravention of the law the organisation will have to act decisively,” said Ntuthu.

Council speaker Zibuthe Mnqwazi said Ntanga was deployed by the ANC to the district municipality and he could not speak about the matter.

Cooperative governance MEC Fikile Xasa said he wanted to verify “some technical facts” about the status of full-time councillors before responding.

He promised to respond today.