Chris Hani rescinds appointment of manager
CHRIS Hani district municipality council has rescinded its decision to reappoint its manager, Moppo Mene, which was taken without following proper procedure last year.
The rescission resolution was taken at a special council meeting in the Komani town hall last week and Chris Hani strategic manager Bhekisisa Mthembu was appointed as acting municipal manager until the post is properly filled.
UDM councillor Zanemvula Deliwe said the council took the decision to rescind the appointment after a long debate among the political parties.
“Council also took a resolution to condone the decisions he made when he was reappointed to his position,” he said.
He accused executive mayor Kholiswa Vimbayo of misleading the council into renewing Mene’s contract without the vacancy being advertised.
“Mene’s contract was raised in council and it was discussed.
“There were terms and conditions that were put forward and he agreed with them,” Deliwe said.
They discovered only later that they had erred in renewing the contract of the municipal manager, as it had not been advertised.
“Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa went to court to challenge the reappointment. We were given the court papers. Council rescinded the decision and did not go to court to address the decision,” he said.
DA councillor Malibongwe Xhelisilo said he had asked that council seek a legal opinion before taking a decision or that they let the court decide on the matter.
Chris Hani executive mayor Kholiswa Vimbayo declined to comment on the matter.
Chris Hani spokeswoman Thobeka Mqamelo did not respond to questions sent.
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs spokesman Mamkeli Ngam said Xasa wrote to all the municipalities in the province that did not follow proper recruitment processes when recruiting their managers.
“Chris Hani was one of those municipalities that did not follow the proper recruitment processes in line with the act.
“They wrote to the MEC telling him that they had renewed Mene’s contract and the MEC did not concur with that,” he said.
Ngam said the MEC had assured the municipalities that if they failed to comply with the law he would take them to court.
“I can confirm that court papers were served to Chris Hani district municipality,” he said.