EFF slams Ndlambe
Accusations of nepotism and lying about housing
THE EFF fired a broadside at Ndlambe Municipality last week, accusing it of nepotism and singling out mayor Phindile Faxi for allegedly deceiving people about housing projects.
In response, the municipality accused the EFF of “malicious and personal” electioneering.
EFF interim regional core Xolisa Runeli and Ward 7 convener Onele Msesiwe brought a litany of concerns to Talk of the Town last week, saying the land and housing issue was foremost on their minds.
EFF members attempted a land invasion at Station Hill on April 27, but were turned back by the police. The piece of land they targeted has been earmarked for a shopping development in which several ANC members with connections to the municipality have a stake.
Runeli reiterated what had been stated by the department of human settlements – that no more houses would be built at Thornhill without supporting bulk infrastructure like water and sewerage.
But he accused the mayor of “renting people to lie to the masses”.
“During the housing protests last year, [community activist] Sibusiso Zweni was saying ‘Faxi must fall’. But now he is going on trips to Bhisho with Faxi, and he has a lifestyle change. Him and [fellow protester] Themba George,” Runeli said.
Zweni and George also recently visited the TotT offices, now as members of the SA National Civics Organisation (Sanco). Zweni was previously employed as a fireman at the Port Alfred fire station. A criminal case against him regarding the theft of computer equipment from the municipality was withdrawn after a witness failed to appear in court. He provided TotT with a letter from the police stating the case had been withdrawn.
“Faxi must stop using Themba and Sibusiso to make false promises to the community that houses are coming,” Runeli said.
“The municipality has established a project steering committee for housing, but a committee like that is only established when the housing project is starting. Nothing has started,” he said.
“I am also a member of that committee, but only Sibusiso and Themba are going on trips with Faxi. We believe it’s a committee to capture people.”
Runeli and Msesiwe also raised concerns about the appointment of a housing manager, “when there is no housing project”, and how the municipality could afford to hire a man previously employed in a senior position in the Nelson Mandela Metro.
They said the appointment of the man, Owethu Jobela, raised the subject of nepotism, as his father, Enoch, was also employed in the infrastructure directorate, and a female cousin, Nomfundo, was working on roads, also part of the infrastructure directorate.
Delving further into the topic of nepotism, they said the mayor himself had several family members working for the municipality – a brother, Monde, working as a cleaner in community protection services, another brother, Mangaliso, driving a truck for infrastructure, and a sister, Nomvuyo, working as a cleaner in corporate services at the civic centre.
“Faxi is taking this town nowhere,” Runeli said.
In response, municipal spokesman Cecil Mbolekwa said the housing steering committee had been established upon the suggestion of the Eastern Cape premier who visited the municipality after the violent housing protests last year.
“The committee has community members who are members of different political parties and Mr Runeli, the leader of the EFF, has been taking part in these meetings. He is aware of developments on the project but chooses to mislead the public that the project would not go ahead. Political campaigns for 2019 have started and some political parties choose to be malicious and personal,” Mbolekwa said.
He assured that the next phase of Thornhill was “forging ahead”, and currently in a pre-planning phase with environmental impact assessment (EIA) and water use license (WUL) applications being recently completed.
“Geotech and town planning have all been done by the consultant, Bigen Africa,” he said.
Despite myriad problems with Amatola Water’s bulk water project, Mbolekwa also insisted that bulk services were available for the project. “The only issue that is needed are connection services which the office of the premier has committed to avail funding for.”
Mbolekwa rejected the accusation that the mayor had been “renting people” to mislead the community.
“The mayor has the right to meet all residents of Ndlambe as enshrined in the constitution under the right to freedom of association. It is well-known around Ndlambe Municipality that the mayor has an open door policy. Even Mr Runeli was a regular visitor who wanted to meet the mayor and was given this right until they started their 2019 campaign, which is clearly based on the mayor as a person.”
Responding to the nepotism accusations, Mbolekwa said: “The municipality appoints all officials through an interview process with interview panel and observed by unions. All the mentioned individuals have gone through this fair and just process, all these employees were appointed separately at different times. It would be unfair and unjust not to [employ] people because they share a surname when they have performed and excelled on their interviews. The people they share surnames with were never part of the interviews or panel of the interview process.”
He also said the housing manager position was a budgeted position that is on the Ndlambe Municipality organogram. The previous person occupying the position had resigned.
“We could not discriminate [against] Owethu Jobela when he applied. He comes with vast experience in the housing sector, having worked for the Metro housing department for close to 10 years,” Mbolekwa said.
In conclusion, Mbolekwa said: “The mayor has made great strides since being elected in 2016. The recent story by TotT on the 43 Air school is proof to this effect and the EFF is on the opposition end of these strides.”