Opposition to director job
KNYSNA - The Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, has launched a high court application to have the appointment of Adv Luvuyo Loliwe as Knysna Municipality's Director of Corporate Services declared null and void.
Bredell filed papers to this effect in the Western Cape High Court on 9 October. Wouter Kriel, Bredell's spokesperson, confirmed on Tuesday 24 October that the MEC for Local Government has launched an application. It appears that Loliwe will have to foot his own legal bill in the challenge, following directives from the Western Cape provincial ANC.
The first respondent in the case is Knysna Municipality, the second is the speaker of the municipal council, the third is director of corporate services and fourth is Loliwe in his personal capacity.
Loliwe was appointed as Director of Corporate Services on 23 July.
It is unclear whether the munici-pality will oppose the application. Knysna Municipal Manager Ombali Sebola confirmed that the municipality had been served with court papers, "in terms of which the applicant, the MEC, seeks to set aside the appointment of Adv Loliwe. We can however not provide any further comments as council will consider this matter tomorrow during an ordinary council meeting," said Sebola on Wednesday 25 October.
Moyisi Magalela, ANC Knysna regional spokesperson, said he believed the ANC Alliance caucus will be guided by the principal view taken by the higher structure not to oppose the application.
In response to a question from KPH, Magalela said, "As per the directive from the provincial structure of the ANC, onus will be on individual directors to foot their legal bills on matters of qualifications or experience should they be challenged by MEC responsible. I am therefore convinced that the caucus will be guided by that principal view taken by the higher structure
not to oppose the application."
Loliwe weighs in
Loliwe said the case is politically driven and "mainly targeting black people". Emphasising that his comments were made in his personal capacity, and not in the capacity of Director of Corporate Services, he said that he is tired of "this nonsense of Bredell" and that he feels it's a waste of time, energy and money. "If you do an investigation and compare my CV with Section 56 appointments in the DA-ruled municipalities, you would be surprised," he said.
"The behaviour of Bredell has an element of criminality, but the opposition parties need to stand up and fight this abuse of state resources for party (DA) gain. I just hope one day someone will stand up and fight this, I am also calling on national government to intervene [Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs]."