MBOMBELA – The corporate-services manager of Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) says the corruption and maladministration allegations against him are baseless.
Mr Noko Seanego said on Wednesday that he intended to take disciplinary steps against the employee who had laid the corruption complaint against him with the police, since it brought the municipality’s reputation into disrepute.
Some community-services (traffic, fire, disaster and security) employees claim the appointment of 26 specialised security workers at the beginning of October was irregular. The complainant is known to Lowvelder, but his identity is being protected for the time being because he is fearful of victimisation.
Employees embarked on a protest over the appointments along with other grievances they harboured against management. These included overtime they claimed they were owed and traffic chief Mr Eddie Prollius still being in his position.
On Monday police had to intervene for Seanego and the acting municipal manager (MM), Mr Sello Ditshego to address them after the shop steward for the South African Municipal Workers’ Union Mr Tokozisi Mhlongo had been notified of Ditshego’s intention to suspend him. The unhappy staff said they had told the MM in the meeting this week that they should be suspended alongside Mhlongo. At the time of going to press he had not been suspended.
Seanego said the employees were being used.
“Certain people incited them to protest simply because they have an interest in the positions. I have a list of names of their friends and relatives they wanted to put in them. There is no basis for the allegations.”
He said it was worrisome that they were so insistent on the removal of Prollius from the department. “As a result traffic has collapsed. Why are they so hell-bent on the traffic head not coming back? I wish I knew the honest reason.”
Prollius was suspended last March over allegations of racism. No decision has yet been made on whether he will return to work or be transferred to another department. Seanego says he suspects some of the employees want the position to be vacated to have for themselves.
