Danie du Plessis, a DA supporter, writes:

Allegations of racial exclusivity

It is with utter dismay that I have come to realise that the Msukaligwa Local Municipality is practising a racially exclusive cadre deployment policy in Ermelo.

Composition of senior positions

Besides the impression that absolute boundaries are enforced for certain racial groups, the current composition of senior positions in the municipality also fails to reflect the composition of the local community (as defined in the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000).

Community contributions and service delivery

The local community of Ermelo is diverse and everyone contributes to the revenue that the municipality requires to fulfil its service delivery obligations, as imposed by the Constitution of South Africa.

Workforce diversity concerns

The workforce of the municipality does not reflect a multiracial and/or racially inclusive society in which everyone is afforded the opportunity to contribute for the benefit of the whole community.

The current composition of the workforce reflects racial exclusion and the kind of job reservation our Constitution effectively ended.

Addressing the discrepancy

I would like to know how the local ANC-led municipality is going to address this glaring discrepancy and racially exclusive practice.

What is the municipality’s current Employment Equity score, and how does the workforce reflect the society envisioned in our Constitution?

Lack of representation

There are no Indian or coloured communities represented in our municipality, and only four white women working in the administration of the municipality.

The ANC-led town council has done very little to rectify this situation or ensure that it reflects the diversity of all its residents.

Service delivery issues

With the above in mind, service delivery is almost non-existent, and residents have the right to ask what they are receiving in return for the salaries and tenders funded by the revenue generated by the municipality from the rates and taxes collected from the same community.

Opinion on DA’s stance on cadre deployment

This is exactly why the Mpumalanga DA rejects cadre deployment that only benefits the elite and connected, protecting them against the consequences of failure to perform their functions and deliver the necessary services to afford residents a town that mirrors human dignity.

Call for explanation

We challenge the ANC-led municipal council and administration to explain the status quo and why party and party membership interests are given prevalence over the interests and well-being of residents. We demand urgent and clear answers as to how this situation will be addressed.

The views expressed in the letter are those of the author and not those of the publication featuring it.

Municipal response

At Msukaligwa Local Municipality, we do not have a cadre deployment policy. We use an employment and recruitment policy and applicable laws to govern employment practices.

Adherence to employment laws

These laws include, but are not limited to, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Labour Relations Act (LRA), and Employment Equity Act (EEA).

The municipality vehemently denies the allegations of using a cadre deployment strategy that excludes other races.

Implementation of Employment Equity Plan

The municipality is required to develop and implement an Employment Equity (EE) plan in terms of Section 20 of the EE Act.

This section mandates that designated employers prepare and implement an Employment Equity Plan that will achieve reasonable progress towards employment equity in the workforce.

Monitoring and evaluation

According to the Act, the EE Manager must implement the EE plan and report to the EE committee and Council on the reasonable progress made towards the numerical goals and targets set by the plan on a quarterly basis. Monitoring and evaluating progress is conducted by the EE Manager, and updates are communicated to the EE committee and Council annually to ensure equitable representation in all job levels and categories.

Designated employment equity champion

The municipality has designated an employee to be an Employment Equity champion, tasked with ensuring that all positions to be filled align with the EE plan.

This individual will report accordingly to the EE committee and Council.

Recruitment practices

The municipality advertises all vacant and budgeted positions to all citizens of South Africa, irrespective of race, color, creed, or political affiliation. Despite this, we often do not receive applications from other races for general worker positions.

Addressing service delivery concerns

To address service delivery concerns, the municipality registers all issues in the Municipal Integrated Development Plan, develops projects, and sources funding from National, Provincial, and other strategic government partners.

Services are delivered more efficiently and effectively when end-users pay for them promptly.

Community engagement

The municipality engages with the local community on service delivery through various platforms, including Integrated Development Plan (IDP) consultative meetings held in all wards of the municipality. Unfortunately, wards 7 and 8 had poor attendance or failed to sit due to non-attendance by the community.

We appeal to the community to attend these meetings as they are crucial for discussing municipal developments.