Endumeni Council simply cannot get it right at the moment. Last Thursdays Council meeting had to be called off after only six Councillors pitched up in the hallowed Chambers.
However, Councillor Anthon Raubenheimer, who did not attend, and Councillor Bongiwe Mbatha, who did attend, both said that whoever sent out the notice for the meeting ‘simply messed up’.
No agenda was attached – the notice only giving details of the date and time of the meeting.
“How can we come here without being able to prepare for what we are to discuss? We understand some items may be confidential but we need to have an idea of what is going on,” Councillor Mbatha told the inquorated meeting.
Councillor Raubenheimer told the Courier that ‘an agenda cannot be sent out without stipulating what will be discussed. “Simply not good enough. They must clearly identify agenda items.”

It is understood that at the meeting, Council would have confirmed the suspension of the senior manager accused of nepotism and misconduct.

Speaker Mdluli apologised saying it was a technical error. However, he berated Councillors who have skipped portfolio and Council meetings. Councillors Mfeka and Mbatha added that it is not only Councillors who skip meetings but officials also do not bother to attend important meetings which are continually held over.
“Officials who miss meetings will be sanctioned. We cannot have this. Our term of office is finishing soon and we cannot allow things to slip now.”
He asked acting municipal manager, Thandazi Makhoba, to obtain reports from Councillors and officials who had missed meetings.
He warned that the Council meeting was to be adjourned for Saturday but this could not be confirmed.
However, Councillor Mbatha was not happy as she ‘has to attend funeral(s)’.

It is understood that the ‘only item on the secret agenda’ was to discuss the proposed suspension of a senior manager. It is also understood that there are moves to replenish the subsistence and travelling budget of around R900 000 that is believed to have been already spent.
Meanwhile, rumours are swirling around that the two women ANC Councillors were asked to ‘boycott the meeting’ and were seen at the ANC office on Beaconsfield Street when they should have been at the meeting. According to posts on the ANC Inkosi Bambatha social media site, the two Councillors ‘were told not to attend the meeting’. It is understood that at the meeting, Council would have confirmed the suspension of the senior manager accused of nepotism and misconduct.

A previous attempt was bungled when Council failed to appoint an independent investigator to probe the allegations which included charges that the manager faxed a list of questions to a job applicant at the municipality before interviews were conducted. FC Bester, Endumeni Residents Association chairman, described the situation at the municipality as a ‘circus’. He said he wanted to have a meeting with senior Councillors to discuss the situation.