Controversy surrounds Social Services post

WHILE AbaQulusi Municipality tackles the tedious task of finding a suitable candidate to fill the somewhat controversial post of Municipal Manager, another post appears to hold its own deal of controversy.

At a media briefing held by union representatives some time ago, the issue of a “duplicate post” was brought to light. It was later discovered that the post in question was that of the Manager of Social Services.
Despite the alleged financial woes of the local municipality, two people, it appears, are being paid, rather handsomely it seems, to occupy the same position.

A candidate was elected for the post of Manager of Social Services. However, in what has become an administrative nightmare for the municipality, another candidate who had applied for the position, took AbaQulusi Municipality to court, claiming that the position in question was rightly hers and that she had been “discriminated against” by the municipality.

An alleged error on the score sheet by the scribe at the interview, which was corrected and signed to validate the correction, has led to several allegations and rumours that the scores were tampered with, with some versions of the story implicating the mayor, Cllr Patience N Khaba who, incidentally was not even on the panel at the interview in question.

After a lengthy legal battle, candidate two eventually won her case against the municipality and was also appointed to the position of Manager of Social Services, which was already occupied by the originally elected candidate, leaving AbaQulusi Municipality in the midst of a precarious labour relations conundrum as both candidates are believed to be in possession of legally binding and valid contracts of employment. Media Liaison for AbaQulusi Municipality, Arnold Ramodibe, could neither confirm nor deny this bureaucratic blunder, disclosing however that the matter was in the hands of the CCMA and further comment would be provided “once due processes have been fulfilled.”

While the laws of science dictate that matter cannot occupy the same space, it appears that perhaps this law does not apply to municipal matters.

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