Attempts to suspend a senior Endumeni manager have failed after the wrong procedures were followed and after a manager was given an ultimatum of seven days to respond to the Council as to why he should not be suspended.
This follows allegations by the two municipal unions, SAMU and IMATU, that the manager committed gross misconduct and nepotism.
It was heard at last Wednesday’s Council meeting, that the Council was to rule on his suspension after the manager had responded to the ultimatum.
Speaker Mdluli said after the meeting that the wrong procedure had been followed as an independent investigator should have been appointed to probe the allegations against the manager.
During the marathon four-hour long meeting, which went into committee (meaning that the media and public had to leave the Council Chamber), Councillors felt that they did not want to repeat the same mistakes of previous Councils when it came to suspending officials.
Municipal Manager, TP Biyela, has been suspended for three years and the case is still dragging on.The official has been given another seven days to respond during which a neutral investigator will be appointed to consider the allegations.
The Courier has seen the document, which extensively outlines the allegations against the senior manager, which include the faxing of questions to a person in Durban who had applied for a job at the municipality.The fax was sent from a shop in Dundee. It was also alleged that the manager has since harassed the shop owner after details of the allegations surfaced. Up until now it is not clear if the shop owner has formally charged the manager.
The Courier was also told that workers may embark on strike action demanding the official to be suspended.