Municipal employees refuse to leave offices

(Samwu) regional chairman, Jabu Cele, pointed out that the ANC had the discretion to deploy staff.

“Employees signed contracts where they agreed to vacate office, should the incumbent mayor or speaker leave.

“Staff were informed that their contracts would come to an end as from August 1 and were advised by the municipal manager, Goolam Akharwaray, that they should submit their curriculum vitaes to human resources so that alternative placement can be found for them. “This process is still unfolding.” ANC regional spokesman, Ali Diteme, added that the deployment and re-deployment of officials in political offices was the prerogative of the regional deployment committee.

Consultation

“The committee is constituted by the ANC regional officials, secretaries of the leagues and the secretaries of the alliance partners.

“This is done in consultation with the ANC provincial officials and Provincial Executive Committee deployees to the region.”

He pointed out that deployments should not be used as a tool to punish individuals or those who did not agree with a particular view or a deployee during the selection process of councillors.

“It is rather a mechanism to strengthen the administrative capacity of the deployees to those offices.

“It would be inhumane to subject our comrades to such disdain and humiliation.

“We hope that the committee will provide leadership and manage this impasse because municipalities cannot be used as their personal fiefdoms.”

Diteme advised the ANC to manage the deployment and re-deployment processes in line with the proper norms and standards.