Cops escort manager from office
Kgoale was later escorted from his office by police officers. He has not returned to TCLM since.
LYDENBURG – The municipal manager (MM) of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) Thoka Kgoale, was escorted from his office by police on Tuesday.
South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) members demanded his resignation and that he step down as MM of TCLM. “You are wasting our time, just leave Thaba Chweu,” is what several placards stated when union members downed tools on Tuesday.
They said that they are fed up with the way Kgoale is running the institution into the ground. According to Solly Selekane, shop steward and secretary of Samwu, the union is brutally honest about why it feels that Kgoale should be dismissed from his position.
“The morale of the employees is completely down. Instead of attending to urgent matters relating to service delivery in town, Kgoale saw it fit to install security cameras in the municipal buildings to the tune of millions. We don’t even have trucks to remove refuse, but he approves luxuries like this? We are tired of promises not being kept. He is running this municipality into a total collapse.”
Selekane also alleged that employees of TCLM are being replaced by candidates from Blouberg Municipality in Limpopo, where Kgoale was previously employed. “A municipal public accounts committee policy researcher was recently appointed by Kgoale. This researcher used to be a counsellor at Blouberg Municipality. He does not even reside in this town. What does he know about this town?”
Selekane said they are fed up with broken promises and challenges not being addressed. “He has other ulterior motives to destabilise this municipality. He is dividing the community and that we cannot have. As officials, we are no longer safe in this municipality. There are security guards carrying guns who are not on the municipal payroll. He is the only manager in the Ehlanzeni district who has armed bodyguards escorting him around.”
A reliable source within TCLM said the union is correct concerning the allegations made against Kgoale. “In his term things have gone from bad to worse. Promises that were made by him about the Eskom account and service delivery never materialised. In fact, it deteriorated to such an extent that ordinary municipal workers have now decided that enough is enough.”
After picketing at the Samwu members picket outside the municipal chambers for the removal of MM, Thoka Kgoale. municipal chambers, the union headed to Kgoale’s office to address him. He, however, locked the door to his office, preventing members access.
Kgoale was later escorted from his office by police officers. He has not returned to TCLM since. The entire municipal building was also closed down on Wednesday and inaccessible to the public. All entrances were chained and padlocked and fitted with placards stating that Kgoale must leave TCLM.
Union members demanded that he stay away from the municipality until a decision about his appointment could be made. Requests for response to the union’s allegations and demands were not answered at the time of going to press. It is not clear when and if Kgoale will return to TCLM.
