Opposition parties hit out at council for ignoring rules when suspending official
Enoch Mgijima local municipality council suspended its municipal manager Chris Magwangqana during a special council on Friday, pending the outcome of an investigation against him.
In a special council sitting, and working off a confidential addendum, which the Dispatch has seen, council took a decision to put Magwangqana under precautionary suspension and gave him seven days to respond why he should not be suspended.
In the addendum, Magwangqana was charged with failing to perform his duties as the accounting officer and failing to act in the interest of the municipality in managing its finances and causing the municipal assets to be auctioned.
He was also charged with misleading council on the financial position or financial viability and asset management of the municipality.
His suspension angered opposition parties who did not want to be part of the suspension, claiming council did not follow proper procedures. They threatened to write letters to the office of the speaker, Mzoxolo Peter, objecting to the suspension.
Speaking to the Dispatch about the matter, DA councillor Magda Botha said they were not opposing the Magwangqana suspension, but wanted proper procedures to be followed.
“As opposition parties, we were not given the time to raise our concerns. Instead, the speaker noted three ANC councillors who passed the suspension without hearing from our side,” she said.
Botha said they feared Magwangqana would take the matter to court and the municipality would lose.
“If we lose in court, councillors will be liable for the legal costs and we won’t be part of that,” she said.
United Front councillor Aaron Mhlontlo said there were many loopholes in the decision that would come back to haunt council.
EFF councillor Luthando Amos said Magwangqana’s suspension had to be done legally.
“The council meeting which served him with the intention to suspend was illegally constituted and today we are suspending him. Why the rush?
“We are saying he must be suspended for misleading the council and allowing the municipal assets to be auctioned.
“As EFF councillors, we are going to write to the speaker stating that any financial implications that come with the suspension must be recovered from the ANC councillors who ignored us,” he said.
Magwangqa did not want to comment on the matter but vowed to challenge his suspension.