Vilakazi not appointed Municipal Manager

THE REACTION was almost instantaneous when the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs tried to, one could almost say foist a discredited ex-municipal manager onto AbaQulusi Municipality.

The man, Dumisani Vilakazi, one-time municipal manager at uMngeni (Howick) Municipality was apparently seconded to AbaQulusi by the MEC as a caretaker or acting municipal manager, and introduced last Tuesday.

But Council has to approve such appointments, and at Wednesday’s Council meeting it was made known that Vilakazi was fired from uMngeni back in 2010.

According to The Witness dated May 31, 2010, “Vilakazi was sacked by a unanimous decision of the ANC, IFP and DA councillors… after discussions of a disciplinary investigation of Vilakazi by council attorneys.”

The Witness reported that Vilakazi was suspended in October the previous year following “investigations of alleged fraud, his alleged interference in municipal administration, his alleged failure to act in the municipality’s best interests and a controversial overseas trip, among other accusations.”

Apparently, the item was withdrawn from the agenda in AbaQulusi’s Council meeting on Wednesday, Vilakazi’s appointment not being ratified.