IFP Shields Mnikathi

THE IFP’s mulish refusal to attend any meeting, in which the municipal manager’s post is to be discussed, may be the only reason Bongiwe Mnikathi is still able to hang on to the position.
On Tuesday, members of the IFP boycotted the fifth consecutive special council meeting in which Ms Mnikathi’s position was intended to be discussed.

Once again, the council could not make a quorum and the meeting could not take place.
The IFP is adamant that Bongiwe Mnikathi will remain acting municipal manager, in utter defiance of Cogta and the legislative framework that governs local government. Ms Mnikathi was appointed as acting municipal manager in

July last year for a period of three months. In October the MEC agreed to extend Ms Mnikathi’s term for another three months. Media liaison officer, Arnold Ramodibe, deliberately misrepresented the facts when he responded to a media enquiry saying that…a resolution taken by council at a meeting held on February 5 determined that the current acting municipal manager, Mrs Bongiwe Mnikathi, will remain acting pending the appointment of the new municipal manager.” , “The council resolution, actually, only extended Ms Mnikathi’s term by further three months, which ended on May 5.

When questioned about this, Mr Ramodibe refused to provide a copy of the resolution in question, saying, “…while I do understand your interest in the matter, I would like to advise that we wait for the next council meeting, which will make a determination on the matter. Even the MEC in her letter advised that a meeting of council be convened to make a final determination. But for now, I can make an assurance that Mrs Bongiwe Mnikathi is still the acting municipal manager of AbaQulusi municipality and she still receives an acting stipend until a decision is made.”
Cogta MEC, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has indicated to the council, that Ms Mnikathi’s term has ended, and the municipality no longer has an account officer, “which is highly irregular.”

Reliable sources have indicated that Mrs Dube-Ncube, intends to place Noel Nkosi, former municipal manager at Jozini, as the acting municipal manager at AbaQulusi for six months, giving the council elected on August 3, enough time to appoint a permanent municipal manager.

Speaker of the council, Mabutho Mtshali, said he felt that, with less than two weeks to the elections, perhaps it should be up to the new council to appoint a municipal manager.
“We are waiting for Cogta to address us on the issue of the municipal manager,” said Cllr Mtshali.
It is believed that representatives from Cogta will present Mr Nkosi to the council at a future meeting, and request that Ms Mnikathi step down.
Cogta has the power to dissolve the council for failing to abide by the MEC’s instructions.

In a press release issued by the IFP, secretary, Simanga Zwane, accuses the ANC of, “looking to employ a municipal manager who will be able to fund the ANC election campaign with tax payers’ money.”
“We have learnt that they (the ANC) want to remove the acting MM because she is a stumbling block for them receiving financial support from taxpayers’ money in AbaQulusi,” says Mr Zwane. “As the IFP, we believe that the current acting MM remains a credible leader who has not yielded to any demands or being held to ransom by political parties.”

To the MEC for Cogta, the IFP says, “Hands off AbaQulusi! This municipality is not under administration.”
Cllr Mtshali (a member of the ANC) attributed the IFP’s accusations to election campaigning and said the ANC would comply with whatever decision was taken within the legislative framework with regards to the municipal manager.

“If the council that comes in after August 3 decides that Ms Mnikathi is the best person for the job then so be it. She understands what complaints have been raised against her by members of the community and what needs to be worked on,” he said.
In the meantime, the legality of any contracts signed off by Ms Mnikathi remains questionable and ratepayers are still coughing up R95 000 a month for her private security.

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