Manager accused of misconduct suspended
Limpopo’s biggest municipality, the Capricorn district municipality has placed its municipal manager, Nokuthula Karelse, on precautionary suspension with immediate effect, pending investigations into allegations of misconduct against her.
The district municipality is the economic hub of Limpopo and includes the provincial capital, Polokwane.
The municipality said yesterday the suspension was in line with the disciplinary regulations for senior managers.
“The move comes after she was served with a notice of intention to suspend her, which gave her an opportunity to make written representation to council as to why she should not be suspended,” said mayor John Mpe in a statement yesterday.
“However, council, during its virtual special sitting this week, considered her written representation and subsequently suspended her with full pay for three months ending on 5 April, pending the outcome of the investigation and or disciplinary proceedings.”
He said he could not give any further details “since the matter is still under investigations”.
Mpe said the municipality had appointed an external independent investigator in terms of regulations that govern the appointment and conditions of employment of municipal managers, to probe allegations of misconduct against Karelse.
Mpe said the council has appointed Thuso Nemugumoni as acting municipal manager for a period not exceeding three months, or until the misconduct investigations and or the disciplinary proceedings are finalised.
Mpe said Nemugumoni was not new to this acting position and that with her qualifications and experience as the executive manager: strategic executive management, she will lead the team professional ly.
The suspension was welcomed by the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
“As a Limpopo Samwu, we welcome the fact that even people in higher echelons of power like municipal managers who, over time, have been running after our ordinary members with all manner of suspensions, are now drinking their own medicine,” Samwu provincial secretary Patrick Aphane said yesterday.