Crucial posts in Tshwane remain vacant as fight over city manager continues

The several Tshwane top management positions that have been vacant for months are unlikely to be filled as a political parties squabble over the appointment of a city manager.

These positions will only be filled once a new city manager has been appointed.

The terms for top managers and heads of department expire at the end of a government term. The municipality has yet to appoint new managers to key departments despite the local elections being in November last year.

Some of these include the chief of the emergency department – who had been acting since last year, the chief audit executive’s contract expired in March, while audit boss, Moeketsi Ntsimane, was fired earlier this year following allegations of sexual harassment.

The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has raised concern that these appointment delays could negatively affect service delivery.

“These positions and that of the governance support officer will be filled in the coming months after a new city manager has been appointed,” said metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba.

“As approved in the last council meeting, the advertising of the posts will now go out and be concluded in the coming months once a new city manager is appointed as they report directly to the city manager,” he said.

A political storm, however, erupted over the city manager candidate recommended the mayor, Johann Mettler. The appointment of Mettler as the new city manager will be tabled for approval at a council meeting on Thursday. Without the appointment of a city manager soon, these positions will remain vacant.

The lack of new appointments recently led to council approving a month-to-month extension of Umar Banda’s contract as chief financial officer and James Murphy, chief operating officer.

However, the contract for the group head of communications, marketing and events was not extended.

Bokaba said the communications manager matter was expected to be discussed at the mayoral committee meeting last week.

Some of the management positions with acting incumbents or vacant are:

– City manager

– Chief financial officer

– Chief operating officer

– Chief audit executive

– Chief of emergency department

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