Govan Mbeki Municipality’s ex-manager demands R1.9m

Lawyers of the dismissed former municipal manager of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Felani Mndebele, issued the municipality with a letter of demand for about R1.9m.

The letter was issued on Wednesday, December 1.

According to the letter, Mr Mndebele is demanding compensation for the financial loss he suffered in a wrongful disciplinary hearing that lead to him losing a lot of money.

Mr Mndebele told the newspaper that they have given the municipality seven days to respond but to date, the municipality is mum.

He is also still waiting for a date from the CCMA for his matter to be heard again.

Govan Mbeki Municipality again terminated Mr Felani Mndebele’s employment contract after an extended court battle.

The council took this decision at a special virtual council meeting held on Friday, July 16.

Mr Mndebele had been placed on precautionary suspension with full pay as recommended by the former Govan Mbeki executive mayor, Ms Thandi Ngxonono, who accused him and his officials of negligence in failing to deliver services to residents.

Mr Mndebele disputed the suspension citing political interference in his daily work and took GMM to court.

There were also allegations made that Mr Mndebele and his officials failed to deliver services to residents due to negligence, such as daily load-shedding, no removal of refuse and a serious backlog on most of the services that the municipality is supposed to deliver to the people.

The Middelburg High Court ruled that Mr Mndebele had been unlawfully suspended and that the proceedings instituted against him on October 16 last year, were unlawful.

GMM and its presiding officer (second respondent) were ordered to pay Mr Mndebele’s legal costs but Govan Mbeki Municipality’s leaders decided to appeal the court’s ruling.

The High Court in Middleburg then dismissed GMM’s leave to appeal against Mr Mndebele with costs.

That was, however, not the end of the battle. When Mr Mndebele tried to return to his job, he was again given the boot.

The municipality was complying with the high court decision to charge him correctly. This means that they charged Mr Mndebele with a 2014 regulation, not the 2010 regulation.

The council then sent Mr Nhlakanipho Zuma, executive mayor, to Mr Mndebele with a settlement proposal to leave the municipality but it was rejected on July 14.

Mr Mndebele’s lawyers wrote a letter to Mr Zuma in which he rejected the proposal.

It was also stated that Mr Mndebele no longer wished to participate in any further settlement negotiations with the municipality and that as far as they are concerned, there’s nothing that prevents their client (Mr Mndebele) from returning to work.

They said Mr Mndebele would report for duty on Monday, July 19, and in the event that the municipality prevents or obstructs such an event, the municipality and its officials will be held in contempt of court.

They also have instructions to sue the municipality to compensate their client for all the losses he incurred as a result of a breach of contract, including all legal fees incurred by their client.

Mr Lucky Mhlongo, municipality communication officer, confirmed that they did received the letter but said the municipality will not comment on the matter.