NELSPRUIT – The second acting municipal manager since the incumbent was suspended recently took office. Mr Lolo Sello Ditshego arrived at council last week, after being seconded for the position by the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), Mr Simon Skhosana. This was done on the request of Cllr Cathy Dlamini, executive mayor.
Ditshego was preceded by Mr Sigananda Siboza, chief operating officer who was appointed by council as acting municipal manager at the same meeting where Mr Xolani Mzobe was suspended on November 5. According to Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for the municipality, Ditshego’s secondment was approved at the same special gathering.
Mr Simphiwe Kunene, spokesman for Cogta, explained that the department had compiled a database earlier this year, which it used to identify a suitable candidate when the need to provide support to municipalities arose. Ditshego, who had served as a councillor and member of the mayoral committee as well as municipal manager of the Khungwini Local Municipality (of which Brokhorstspruit was the seat before being disbanded) was registered on this database.
In the meantime, Mzobe had been on paid leave ever since his suspension by council on the recommendation of Skhosana following an inquiry into alleged corruption, financial malpractice and governance in the municipality. The MEC recommended that both Mzobe and Mr Rasheed Matola, the general manager of community services at Mbombela, be suspended when he presented the preliminary report into the investigation to council.
It focused mainly on procurement issues, with emphasis on the Afcon tournament and capital-infrastructure projects, and the findings pointed out certain irregularities with compliance to the Municipal Finance Management Act and supply-chain-management regulations and policies.
Matola had, however, not been suspended following him also being placed on precautionary suspension along with Mzobe on October 22. Ngala would not comment on any disciplinary processes against Matola.
“Disciplinary processes are internal matters that cannot be discussed with the public, until finalised,” he said. According to Ngala, Mzobe’s fate was similarly subject to internal action of the disciplinary code. He pointed out that since he remained the incumbent municipal manager, no effort had been made to find a permanent replacement.
