Ms Zulu, who scored highest of all candidates during the interviewing process, challenged the snub after the council unanimously appointed Mr Mnguni to the position from September 1, 2022.

Mr Mnguni was centre to a years long succession plan which saw him shadowing former Municipal Manager Mr Willie Fouché over several years.

Mr Mnguni served as acting accounting officer following Mr Fouché’s exit, but formally resigned when Advocate Bheki Khenisa was offered the permanent position in his stead.

Advocate Khenisa’s appointment ushered in an era of continued labour unrest, with employees flatly refusing to use assets, like seven brand new waste compacting trucks procured during Advocate Khenisa’s tenure.

The municipality’s solid waste department conceded to the ongoing labour disputes within the department in regard to the compactor trucks, resulting in more overtime, while the municipality is bound to a lease agreement with the supplier.

While Ms Zulu remains on the municipal payroll as the executive manager, she acted in the capacity of Acting Municipal Manager following Advocate Khenisa’s exit on April 1 last year.

While no disciplinary proceedings have been announced against Ms Zulu yet over her handling of the strikes and consequent shooting death of electrical employee Tshepo Maseko, on Tuesday the municipality said disciplinary hearings will go ahead against 17 full-time municipal employees accused of instigating labour unrest.

Of the 17 employees facing disciplinary action, one is employed in the office of the municipal manager, while the majority of the remaining employees work for civic engineering and solid waste. At least one law enforcement officer has also been named.

The employees were all identified in the municipality’s 2021/2022 Annual Report, and were all charged on May 13, almost three months before the August shootings.

Furthermore, the EFF tried but failed to table a motion of no confidence in Mayor Mhlonishwa Masilela after the civic centre shootings.

An 18th employee also faces disciplinary charges for alleged theft from Pullens Hope municipal coffers.

During 2023’s first ordinary council sitting on Tuesday, parties were given an update on Ms Zulu’s dispute, with the SA Local Bargaining Council declining jurisdiction on November 17, resulting in the matter being referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration on December 7 for conciliation.

The dispute was not successfully conciliated, leading to this week’s formal arbitration on Wednesday, the outcome of which was not known before the print deadline.