ANC’s irregular cadre deployment costs broke Mangaung Metro millions

More than 100 ANC cadres have been appointed to the political office of the Mangaung Metro Municipality in contravention of the Municipal Systems Act, and despite many of these new staff members not having clocked in for a day of work, they received a total of R2.5 million in salaries last month.

According to the Municipal Systems Act, certain political office bearers such as mayors, deputy mayors, chief whips and the speakers of council are entitled to make a certain number of political appointments into their offices.

While this amount stands at 50 for Mangaung, documents seen by The Citizen show that 105 staff members have appointed.

In a letter written by the chief of staff Sibongile Tsoleli and dated 10 January, she requested former acting city manager Sello More to approve employment of political staff to “serve in the offices of the political office bearers on a contractual basis, with effect from the 10^th January to 31^st March 2022.”

Tsoleli further motivated these appointments by stating that following the local government elections, the appointments were necessary for administrative and functional support to political office bearers.

“The municipality is currently reviewing the political staff establishment in consultation with the National Treasury. In the meantime, whilst the process of reviewing the political staff establishment is being finalised, there is a strong necessity for the appointment of political staff on a contract basis to support political office bearers,” Tsoleli said in the letter.

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Her request was approved and signed off by More, Tsoleli herself, the head of department for corporate services David Nkaiseng, and executive committee representative Thomas Mkaza, with the contracts to run until the end of February.

This means that a large number of ANC affiliates and members were appointed as heads of departments, managers, researchers, cleaners who also make tea, and administration officers.

Some of the positions were new, such as personal assistant to the chief of staff, and chief clerk in the mayor’s office.

The Mangaung ANC’s interim regional committee coordinator Sabelo Pitso is listed as a customer relations manager in the same office.

I have not seen any of them – says Speaker

Mangaung Metro Speaker Stefani Lockman-Naidoo says she has never seen any of the people supposedly appointed in her office.

52 people have been contracted in her office including 21 ward clerks. According to the current Municipal Systems Act, 46 people can be appointed to her office, but the newly amended Act taking effect from 1 July 2022 would cut that list to only nine.

Speaking to The Citizen, Lockman-Naidoo said: “Funny enough, I don’t know these people. No one has reported for duty. I am being attacked left, right and centre because I am standing up and they don’t like that. I don’t know these people, really.

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“I was at the office yesterday [Thursday] and no one was there… There has been no human resources processes. Apparently, I have a head of department who runs around in a suit and represents me in meetings. I am wondering who gives him the mandate because I am the principal,” she told The Citizen.

Lockman-Naidoo has been making enquiries since she sent a letter on 14 January which was addressed to Mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana, MMC for Corporate Services Theodora Mosola and More. In her letter, she clearly stated she has not given official authorisation for any additional staff appointments in her office.

“I advise further that the list of additional staff shall be confirmed by my office to the council whip and acting city manager once the proper human resources procedures, consultations and verifications have been finalised.”

Despite this, the appointments were approved and signed between 10 January and 24 January 2022.

Lockman-Naidoo again wrote to the now interdicted new city manager Teboho Maine, as well as Nkaiseng on 4 February 2022 to query the payment of the alleged irregularly appointed staff in her office.

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“The staff establishment is not yet finalised, yet there are persons getting paid who did not even report for duty. Such payments are regarded as fraudulent activities with serious financial implications for this municipality that is under financial strain… Please take note that such payments should stop with immediate effect”

Lockman-Naidoo says she intends to bring this matter before council during their sitting next week.

“There are letters from me stopping this thing. I am bringing it in council next Tuesday with a report of the information I have, including instructions from the city manager who is now interdicted to stop all these payments. When you do the right thing in Mangaung, all of a sudden you become enemy number one… This is corruption that is going on here.”

Speaker under fire

Lockman-Naidoo has been under fire from her own party in recent weeks, with the ANC in Mangaung’s Interim Regional Committee (IRC) calling for her immediate suspension on 27 January.

The Speaker invoked the ire of the IRC when she failed to follow party to instructions to stop a council meeting which would see the removal of former municipal manager Sello More from going ahead.

A message allegedly sent to ANC councillors on the day read: “By the directive of the ANC, the cllrs of the ANC will not attend today’s council meeting due to the fact that council items are still being processed by the ANC.”

Despite this, several ANC councillors, including Lockman-Naidoo, did attend the sitting.

More’s appointment had previously been ruled to have been irregular by the Free State High Court and his removal from office was supported by not only opposition members of council, but also some ANC members.

Following this council meeting the IRC called for the Speaker’s immediate suspension, while Tebogo Maine took over as acting city manager.

Interdicted city manager tried but failed to block payments

Since his appointment Maine has also tried to put a stop to salaries being paid to the supposedly irregular appointments in the metro.

On 31 January he requested that payroll manager Tshwaro Ledibane halt the payments, with the metro’s chief financial officer Sabata Mofokeng copied in the email.

“This email serves to instruct you that since my appointment by council on the 26 January 2022 as the acting city manager, you are not allowed to implement anything that doesn’t have signature for approval. We need to be cognisant of the ever-increasing salary bill of the city but most importantly we need to adhere to the laws and regulations, notably Municipal Staff Regulations,” said the acting city manager.

But as head of corporate services, Nkaiseng proceeded three days later to instruct the payroll manager to continue with the special run of salaries.

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“We have arranged with CFO for special run on Friday 4 February. Please kindly include all outstanding authorised and ratified payments in the special run,” he wrote in an email dated 2 February 2022.

Meanwhile, Maine has vacated his office after the Bloemfontein High Court ruled in favour of Cogta MEC Mxolisi Dukwana for the acting city manager’s appointment to be interdicted, while the council’s decision to sack More is re-examined.

Manguang municipality spokesperson Qondile Khwedama failed to respond to several requests for comment on the drama within the municipality.

Opposition party the Freedom Front Plus has requested that Dukwana explain the high number of appointments, saying they will ask National Treasury to investigate the allegations, as well as inform the office of the Auditor-General.

rorisangk@citizen.co.za

• Additional reporting by Earl Coetzee.