MBOMBELA – The local municipality has appointed a new municipal manager (MM) in a permanent position after the previous one was dismissed a year ago.
Mr Noko Seanego’s appointment on a three-year contract was effected by the municipal council during an ordinary meeting on Thursday.
This came a year after Mr Sello Ditshego was appointed as acting MM when the former incumbent Mr Xolani Mzobe was fired following an investigation relating to procurement irregularities during Afcon 2013.
Mr Jo Koster, DA caucus leader in the council, said the opposition welcomed the appointment. “The DA is really happy to have come to the point where we once again have a permanent MM. We are also happy it is Seanego. He has long-standing municipal experience having served Mbombela for a long time and having come through the municipal ranks.”
Yet his appointment is not entirely without controversy. The SAPS have confirmed that their investigation into corruption claims against Seanego (formerly the general manager of corporate services) has been referred to the prosecuting authority and the police are awaiting further instructions on the matter.
The complaint was lodged by some community services employees who are unhappy with the appointment process of 24 specialised security officers instead of 16 by-law officers which were initially advertised. Twice they staged protests against it and subsequently 35 traffic officers and firefighters were suspended.
Mr Cyril Chuene, a member of the EFF’s provincial leadership said the party considered Seanego’s appointment as a reward for his “corruption”.
When asked about the allegations, neither spokesman Mr Joseph Ngala nor Seanego himself would clarify how the responsibilities of by-law officers differed from those of specialised security ones, nor what the minimum requirements were. They did not comment on why the appointments were altered from the advertised positions.
They would not confirm or deny that some of the appointed candidates were added to the shortlist after the interviewing and vetting process of the other candidates had been completed or whether each appointed candidate met the minimum requirements. They would not explain why some applicants had appointment letters issued before they were withdrawn again.
• During the meeting Koster raised the matter of the chief financial officer (CFO) still being in an acting position during the meeting. “Only 25 per cent of public institutions have received clean audits from the Auditor General. We are facing a disaster in this country.”
He requested that the appointment of a permanent CFO be fast tracked. “Let the appointment be seen as absolutely urgent and done by the end of February.” Executive mayor Mr Sibusiso Mathonsi said he agreed that the appointment needed to be finalised, something he had been saying since his appointment in May. Mathonsi said he couldn’t agree to a timeline as he was not in charge of the process.
