‘Here come the looters’ – Middelburg to become second Vuwani?

Residents, politicians from opposition parties, some ANC members and community leaders have voiced strong opposition to the appointment, calling on the Mpumalanga Premier to reverse the decision.

Residents fear that the town could become a second Vuwani where 2 000 Grade 12 learners were forced to miss their preliminary exams after protests in the Limpopo town, shutting schools and other facilities.

Over 30 schools were either torched or vandalised after the ANC government ignored the wishes of residents.

• Former politician and Middelburg’s first black Mayor, Ben Mokoena, penned a letter calling for protests to stop “looters” from being appointed in senior positions as this would drain Middelburg of valuable financial resources.

• Democratic Alliance caucus leader Hennie Niemann also wrote a letter to www.mobserver.co.za, stating that “another ANC cadre will be deployed instead of making a permanent appointment in the interest of the town”.

Democratic Alliance caucus leader Hennie Niemann:
“• On Monday 9 October 2017 there was a Special Council meeting and the purpose of this
meeting was to obtain a resolution to authorize the Executive Mayor to approach the
MEC to second an official to be appointed as Acting Municipal Manager in Steve
Tshwete.

• No report or recommendation was made available in advance and only on request of the
DA, the report that served before the Mayoral Committee, was made available to the
different parties at the meeting.

Read: ‘Mr Fix It’ coming to Middelburg?

• Mr. Mandla Mnguni has been acting as Municipal Manager since 1 February 2015 and
despite the fact that the vacant position of Municipal Manager was advertised on 7
November 2014 and again on 4 November 2016, shortlisting was only done on 8 June
2017. No interviews were conducted.

• The DA stressed the fact that this critical position must be filled urgently to ensure
strategic leadership in the organization. We submitted the following counter proposals:

1. That the vacant post of Municipal Manager be advertised before the end of
   October 2017.
2. That an appointment in the position of Municipal Manager be made before 15
   December 2017.
3. That the MEC be requested to grant approval that Mr. M Mnguni be appointed
   to act until an appointment has been made.

• The matter was put to a vote and the ANC used their majority in Council to outvote the
opposition on this matter.

• The unfortunate result of this resolution is that it will just be another ANC cadre that will be deployed instead of making a permanent appointment in the interest of the town.

• The factional differences within ANC is having a negative impact on the Municipality and indications are that it will not be settled until the December conference.”

Ben Mokoena (concerned resident):
“The decision by councillors of the ANC to allow the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs of Mpumalanga to usurp their powers and impose a municipal manager on our council, marks the arrival of looters in Middelburg.

Councillors of the ANC decided, at a council meeting held on Monday, to support a decision by the said MEC to unceremoniously remove acting Municipal Manager Mandla Mnguni and replace him with their own appointee, rumoured to be from Limpopo, to act as a municipal manager with effect from Thursday 12th October, 2017.

This action by the said MEC is not only unreasonable and senseless but also unlawful, I believe.

Read: R4,4 million spent in Extension 8

The Act is very clear that the council is the body authorised to appoint the municipal managers and section 57 managers. For these councillors to have allowed this to happen is indicative of their utter ignorance about their roles, responsibilities and powers.

It is also indicative of the extent of their timidity.

The decision is also an insult to all the senior managers in our council as it suggests that none of them are capable of stepping into Mnguni’s shoes.

The question that must be uppermost in the minds as the residents of Middelburg is: Why has the MEC decided to interfere with the running of our municipality when everything is running smoothly here?

The answer is simple: Middelburg is one of the few remaining municipalities in South Africa that are still financially viable and cash positive.

It is, therefore, being targeted for looting by the national and provincial looters. To do that, the looters need to have their person in the strategic position of municipal manager so they can control and give instructions on who to give tenders and contracts to and who not to.

The national looters have been doing this at ESKOM, PRASA, SAA and other SOE’s with the result that they are all virtually bankrupt.

Mr Mnguni has obviously proven not sufficiently pliable and uncooperative with these plans, hence the decision to push him aside.

As the residents of Middelburg, we must ask ourselves the question whether we are going to fold our arms and allow this looting to take root in our town or will we nip it in the bud.

Whatever we decide, we must understand that the more our resources are looted the more expensive our municipal services are going to be.

Personally, I think it’s time for action and that action must start with the interrogation of our councillors, especially those of the ANC, and get them to account for this senseless decision and their unexplained timidity.”