A dirty tricks campaign is threatening to scupper the clean-up campaign embarked upon by the new acting managers at the Endumeni Municipality.
Following the re-suspension of municipal manager, TP Biyela, the four new acting managers and a new-look Council, following the resignation of Councillor Bheki Ngobese, have conducted thorough investigation into what transpired during the months where the Council was functioning under an illegal Council resolution.
It is thought millions of Rands had been wasted and there were over 20 illegal appointments made up until March when the Council overturned the illegal resolution to re-instate Mr Biyela in September 2013.
However, on Wednesday a racist e-mail surfaced purportedly written by acting Corporate Services Manager, Desiga Padayachee.
In the e-mail – to a supposed cousin who lives in Howick – the writer refers to ‘a fat bastard’, ‘bitch’, ‘arsehole’, ‘cakes’ and the K-word in apparent references to acting municipal manager, Advocate R Brijraj, Councillor B Mbatha, Speaker Mdluli, Deputy Mayor Mkhize and others.
The e-mail goes on to complain that a promised promotion did not materialise at a meeting. Then, this morning a poster was circulated in town and in the municipal building depicting a photo of Mr Padayachee saying that this ‘man uses these words to describe Councillors and blacks’. The words are also depicted on the poster.
In an interview with the Courier Mr Padayachee strongly denied that he had written the e-mail. “I would be crazy to send an e-mail containing such racist language from my work computer. In any case I never use language like that and I was quite happy that my promotion had been delayed until the post had been advertised. This was explained to me by the Speaker after the April 29 meeting. So if I was so furious why would I wait until May 8 – when the so-called e-mail was generated – to vent my anger?”
Members of the so-called Concerned Group confronted Mr Padayachee in his office on Thursday demanding to know why he had written the e-mail and used such language. ‘It was very intimidating. Clearly, I have been set-up by people whom we are investigating charges of corruption against with the municipality. People who have knowledge of computers and have access to the municipal computer system.”
Disturbingly, fellow municipal employees were seen today putting up the damning posters in the municipality.
Mr Padayachee confirmed he had laid charges of defamation, intimidation, crimen injuria and harassment with the police.
“We are cleaning up the damage done to the municipality and the wastage of ratepayers money over the past six months or so. Those who are implicated are using dirty tricks. But it won’t work. We will stand firm.”
Mr Padayachee has the backing of Mayor Thulani Mahaye and Speaker Mdluli. Speaker Mdluli said the campaign against Mr Padayachee was disturbing. “Obviously our desire to right the wrongs at the municipality have hit a sensitive spot. People are doing all they can to take the spotlight away from them. Hopefully, we can involved the Commercial Crime Unit to do a complete investigation and bring the conspirators to book.”
