Council boss charged with trespassing

THE long-running fallout between the municipal manager and some councillors at the Richmond municipality has taken a dramatic twist after a charge of trespassing was laid against the senior official, who is being barred from access to her office.

A case was opened at the Richmond police station after Bongiwe Mnikathi allegedly tried to enter her office and it was locked.

The case was opened by acting municipal manager Bigboy Mhlongo on behalf of the municipality.

Mnikathi is on suspension but is said to be challenging its legality.

The suspension, which came into effect last week, is the second served on Mnikathi since July. She obtained an interdict against the council during the first attempt to suspend her in July.

Council speaker Samora Ndlovu said Mnikathi had arrived at the municipality on Tuesday with “heavily armed” bodyguards who broke the locks to her office using a bolt cutter.

Approached for comment yesterday, Mnikathi asked for privacy. “I am in consultation with lawyers, so I am not going to respond. They do the wrong things and run to the media. I think I should be given some privacy,” she said.

The issue of her bodyguards has been a source of contention before, as some councillors claim that at times she has been accompanied by more than 15 bodyguards.

While she previously told The Mercury she had to beef up her security following death threats, Mnikathi said her security was a private arrangement.

One of the charges that led to the current suspension was that on September 28 she had arrived at a council meeting accompanied by heavily armed bodyguards, who she demanded should be allowed into the council chamber.

“The councillors would not allow them to enter the chamber and she left. That day, the council found out from the media that she had received a threatening SMS. She still has not reported the threats to the council,” Ndlovu said.

He said the latest actions by Mnikathi had incensed councillors and officials alike.

“Police were called in to arrest her because she was trespassing. The police instead negotiated with her and her armed men to leave the premises, which she did. Clearly, the municipal manager does not respect the council’s authority. ”