City manager and mayor plan to meet
ETHEKWINI mayor Mxolisi Kaunda is expected to meet with embattled city manager Sipho Nzuza soon for discussions about the latter’s position in the municipality.
Kaunda informed executive committee members yesterday that his office had asked for a meeting with Nzuza and his attorneys, but were informed by Nzuza’s attorney that the meeting could not take place until the courts pronounced on Nzuza’s application to have his bail conditions relaxed.
That outcome was expected today. “We have asked for the meeting with Nzuza and his lawyers, but they have indicated that the engagements should be after Tuesday (today) when Nzuza has appeared in court where he is trying to have his bail conditions relaxed in order to be able to do his job,” Kaunda said.
Kaunda said he would brief the full council on the issue during a confidential meeting this week.
Nzuza is facing charges along with the former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, city officials and ANC councillors in connection with a multimillion-rand DSW waste collection contract. The State served the indictment on the accused last week and the matter has been referred to the high court.
While out on bail last year, Nzuza was arrested again on allegations that he had breached his bail conditions. His bail conditions were then tightened and this made it difficult for him to continue as the city manager, prompting his latest court application.
The council had granted Nzuza special leave until the end of February, and this was extended to this month.
Nzuza had previously told The Mercury that he expected the decision from the court this month.
He said he feared working due to the stringent bail conditions as he could walk into a trap. He said under the conditions he could execute a task thinking he was doing his job only to find that it was a violation of his bail conditions, and that could result in him being imprisoned.
The news of the meeting irked some opposition parties, who said finding out about the meeting along with the rest of the public, while they were executive committee members, was improper and they should have been informed beforehand.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said he had urged Kaunda to communicate information about the city with all members of the executive committee as they were entitled to be briefed.
“The current situation is that we are now paying two city managers, and one of them is sitting at home. We are paying the person who is acting in the position and that is unfair to the people of eThekwini,” said Nkosi.
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa expressed the same concerns, saying it was wrong of the city to pay two people for the same position.
He said they had urged the ANC to deal decisively with the issue of the city manager and had they done that the city might not be paying two salaries for the same position.