ANC caucus rocked by divisions over finance manager appointment

DIVISIONS emerged again at a meeting on Monday in the ANC King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality caucus after some councillors failed to vote for a resolution to bring back the chief financial officer (CFO).

The municipality put new CFO Nomthandazo Ntshanga on forced leave after she was employed by mayor Nonkoliso Ngqongwa and municipal manager Zama Mnqanqeni.

A multiparty investigation found she had been employed without council’s approval and without either Mnqanqeni or Ngqongwa having seen her qualifications.

The Dispatch learnt on Monday that the ANC had pushed for Ntshanga to be reinstated although her qualifications had not been seen nor had the multiparty report on her appointment been discussed.

An ANC councillor, who was not present at the meeting but was briefed on it, said chief whip Dumani Zozo pushed for the appointment to be passed before the ANC’s provincial conference, fearing dynamics would change after the conference.

“Zozo has an interest in this … we would be breaking the law if we appointed her,” said the councillor.

Two other councillors who spoke to the Dispatch said only 32 councillors voted in favour of CFO’s return.

Four others left the meeting before voting and the speaker ruled the vote invalid.

But yesterday Zozo said they had successfully and democratically voted for Ntshanga to come back.

He denied that some councillors from the ANC had failed to vote.

“There were 46 councillors present and 46 councillors participated,” said Zozo.

“He is lying, I would have known if the vote had been passed and signed by the speaker,” said the source.

DA councillor, Bonisile Bara said they had left the meeting after the speaker adjourned it but had heard rumours that the ANC would push for the CFO to return anyway.

UDM councillor, Wandile Tsipa, said 14 opposition councillors had voted against while 32 ANC councillors voted for the CFO coming back but the speaker had ruled they did not meet a quorum.

The Dispatch also understands that some ANC councillors who were initially present at the meeting left before the vote leading to a no quorum. “Other councillors didn’t attend at all because they were busy with other meetings leading up to the provincial said.

This is not the first time divisions have shown up in the ANC caucus.

In 2011 some of the party’s councillors voted against the candidacy of Ngqongwa, something which angered the provincial leadership.

Councillors were later ordered to take lie detector tests but some refused, including current speaker Funeka Dondashe, who has survived a motion of no confidence. —

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