Sender tells Ncunyana to quit in five days or face ‘painful’ results
the municipal manager (MM) position left vacant when the city council put into effect recommendations by a disciplinary committee that former municipal manager, Andile Fani, be fired.
Fani was found guilty of flouting procurement processes in a multi-million housing project.
Ncunyana was appointed in an acting capacity as the “accounting officer” – or muncipal manager.
“I have been in the local government sphere for 15 years and not once was I ever intimidated in doing my job.”
The text message written in Xhosa says as follows: “Hello Mr Ncunyana. I won’t bother and tell you who I am, with due respect, but I want you to resign from your BCM job because you know how you got it. For now we are asking you kindly to resign within five days. I’ve tried to call you but you are not answering my call. If you do not abide, I will effect plan B and that will be painful. I bought this SIM card especially to be able to call you. Thank you Mr Ncunyana”.
Just this week rival ANC factions at the Butterworthbased Mnquma Council opted to use force to outclass each other over one faction’s decision to fire municipal manager Sindile Tantsi.
Some councillors were injured in the fight which broke out on Wednesday afternoon in front of the municipal buildings.
The fracas occurred a day after Tantsi’s supporters in council elected a new troika of mayor, speaker and chief whip.
The ruling party is busy investigating who of the two groups acted outside the mandate of the ANC.
Ncunyana, who is on a fiveyear contract as director of engineering services and infrastructure, said he was considering applying for the R2.5-million-a-year job “as I have accumulated experience while acting in this position [of MM] in the past few months”.
He said it was unclear whether the SMS sender wanted him to resign as acting BCM municipal manager or as director of engineering services.
Ncunyana said he was also consulting his family, friends and relevant security organs “to see how to get to the bottom of this”. — zineg@dispatch.