LIMPOPO – Four senior managers at the Greater Giyani Municipality, including municipal manager Vusi Duncan Khoza, will not be receiving performance bonuses for the previous financial year after failing to meet the required performance standards.

This development was made public during a council sitting held on Wednesday, where corporate and shared services head Regina Nghunyule-Mabunda officially informed council members of the outcome of the midterm performance assessments.

According to Nghunyule, the managers were evaluated in terms of Section 27(i) of the Public Service Amendment Act of 2007, which mandates strict performance reviews for senior officials.

The assessment results revealed that all four officials, including Khoza, had not achieved the minimum performance threshold required to qualify for performance-related bonuses. The decision has been endorsed by the council and is part of ongoing efforts to promote accountability and improve service delivery within the municipality.

The senior managers in question are the municipal manager, the chief financial officer (CFO), the director of planning and local development, and the director of community services.

“It must be noted, however, that there is no financial implication for the municipality, as all the assessed senior managers did not qualify for bonuses,” she said while submitting the report to the council for approval.

Meanwhile, performance assessment is crucial for decisions related to contract renewals, performance bonuses, disciplinary actions, recognition, or promotions of these senior managers.

However, while this assessment may have limited consequences for some of the other senior managers, it could be detrimental to some managers as it might be used as grounds for their removal, given the current political turbulence within the municipality.

Depending on the outcome of the ongoing leadership contest within the ANC to replace the regional leadership, the fate of Khoza could be heavily influenced by the performance assessment report. This is particularly true if the faction not aligned with Khoza emerges victorious, as they are likely to use the report as a justification for his removal.

This would not be unprecedented. A similar scenario unfolded with former municipal manager Maxwell Chauke, who was dismissed under political pressure, despite having made decisions that were widely regarded among ordinary community members as being in the best interest of the municipality.