Over R5m for empty desks
SOL PLAATJE Municipality continues to fork out over R5 million to pay the salaries of top officials who are physically not at their desks.
These include Sol Plaatje municipal manager, Goolam Akharwaray, and the chief financial officer (CFO), Lydia Mahloko, who have been on suspension for more than a year, and the executive director of Corporate Services, Ruth Sebolecwe, who has been on sick leave for six months already.
Sebolecwe, who has been absent from work since February this year, continues to earn between R1.8 and R1.9 million per annum; and according to council instruction should take unpaid sick leave.
While she was acting municipal manager, Sebolecwe received remuneration for the acting position amounting to R2 million.
Both Akharwaray and Mahloko, who have been suspended for over a year, have been receiving their full salaries since they were placed on precautionary suspension in July last year
Akharwaray receives a R2 million package while Mahloko is entitled to R1.9 million per annum.
Despite the Section 106 investigation report on irregularities at Sol Plaatje Municipality being tabled during a council meeting on Tuesday, no decision was taken regarding the continued payment of the salaries of these two officials.
DA caucus leader Christopher Phiri said that council had decided that if Sebolecwe wished to remain on prolonged leave, she would not receive an income from the municipality.
“Sebolecwe has not reported for duty for six months and has exhausted all her sick leave. The labour regulations prescribe a maximum of 21 sick days over a three-year cycle, which she has by far exceeded. It is only in the event that an employee is hospitalised that sick leave can be extended. She has, however, been seen attending funerals. Therefore she is not bedridden and is considered to be fit for duty,” said Phiri.
He pointed out that no formal application has been submitted to apply for extended sick leave.
“Council has yet to be provided with tangible evidence regarding the nature of her illness.”
Phiri indicated that Sebolecwe was also nearing retirement towards the end of the year.
He added that they were also busy with a query into why Sebolecwe’s son was continuing to receive a salary from the municipality when he has been classified as a ghost worker and is studying in Cape Town, while a municipal flat is also being rented by him.
Phiri stated that they were still awaiting a response from the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs regarding the acting appointment of Nomonde Tyabashe-kesiamang.
“She was supposed to be suspended for the purposes of a disciplinary hearing but was rather appointed as the acting municipal manager.
“There are apparently different sets of minutes where it was indicated that council nominated her for the position. Another set of minutes indicates that no voting took place as no councillor was in attendance, while the attendance register vanished into thin air.”
Phiri added that they were obtaining legal advice regarding the Section 106 report.
“It appears as if there are deliberate attempts to stall the implementation of the findings. Coghsta has not submitted replying affidavits to the CFO’S application to interdict the report, almost a year after the initial application to declare the report null and void, which has yet to be heard in court. Given the time frames, surely the interdict must have lapsed.”
EFF councillor Francis Thulo meanwhile believes that the MEC for Coghsta is undermining them, after requesting him in writing to intervene in Kesiamang’s appointment as acting municipal manager.
“How can you appoint someone into this position when they are supposed to be investigated by council for maladministration?” Thulo asked.
ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga pointed out that it was “unacceptable” that the son of an employee at any institution should benefit unduly.
“We have requested that the mayor should investigate the allegations and if found to be true, the matter should be referred to law enforcement agencies. We have made a commitment as the ANC Provincial Executive Committee to fight corruption anywhere that it rears its ugly head,” said Ngxanga.
Both the Mayor’s Office and Coghsta failed to respond to media enquiries yesterday.
HOW CAN YOU APPOINT SOMEONE INTO THIS POSITION WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INVESTIGATED BY COUNCIL FOR MALADMINISTRATION?