MBOMBELA – The local municipality doesn’t need by-law enforcement officers, it needs an even stronger law enforcement. Newly appointed municipal manager (MM) Mr Noko Seanego, says they are too much like traffic officers and something more is needed to address land invasion, counterfeit goods, hawkers and illegal traders on the city’s streets.
Hence the recent appointment of specialised security officers in Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) instead of the by-law officers for which positions were advertised. “We have the structure and budget for it. It will strengthen our units,” Seanego says.
He was speaking during executive mayor Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi’s official introduction of the new MM to the media on Thursday. They were reluctant to discuss internal labour matters but did say that MLM had appealed against the Labour Court’s instruction that suspended community services general manager Mr Rasheed Matola be reinstated. His is the final disciplinary action not yet completed after the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’s Section 106 intervention in the municipality last year.
Mathonsi also admitted that MLM was struggling to appoint a suitable CFO in a position that had been vacant for almost two years and that they would resort to headhunting. “We have advertised thrice. We couldn’t get the best candidate we wanted. The last time there was only three interested applicants.”
He said a clean audit was non-negotiable after MLM had obtained unqualified audit opinions from the Auditor General for five years running.
“We have had enough of it. We have good finance systems in place.”
He added he was horrified that traffic chief Mr Eddie Prolius had been on special leave for close to two years. The latter was allowed to return to work last week. The mayor said the former MM was supposed to investigate the allegations against him but failed to submit a report. “I think it is now resolved. We can’t leave these matters unattended.” Noko added that everything had been going well since his return.
Mr Morris Mazibane, general manager of corporate services, was also introduced as the new leader of government business meant to link the mayoral coordinating forum with other entities in the municipality.
