POLOKWANE – While seven senior managers of the municipality are being investigated for possible misconduct, three senior managers have been suspended from duty and the remaining senior managers will continue to perform their duties.
Fikile Mudau, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), California Phanyane, Director of Corporate and Shared Services and Molatelo Rapetsoa, Director of Transportation Services were suspended while the investigation is ongoing.
Acting Municipal Manager, Ndavhe Ramakuela, the fourth name on the list, will hand over the reins this week as his term as Acting Municipal Manager comes to an end. Faith Maboya, who is currently Director of Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, will take over from Ramakuela. The remaining three senior managers who are being investigated but will continue to fulfil their duties, are Henry Lubbe, Director of Community Services, Nditsheni Sikhauli, Director of Technical Services and Matome Makgoba, Director of Planning and Development.
The investigations and suspensions were announced during a media briefing held on Wednesday, and followed Polokwane Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng’s closed council meeting that took place on the previous day, during which these decisions were confirmed.
The investigations initially stem from recommendations by the National Treasury after an investigation into some supply chain management (SCM) processes related to awarding of certain tenders. The seven senior managers were each served with a notice of intention to suspend on Monday, August 3 and were given seven days to respond to issues levelled against them.
Mudau, Phanyane and Rapetsoa’s responses and representations as to why they should not be suspended were not acceptable to council, while the remaining senior managers’ were accepted.
According to Nkadimeng, arrangements are being made to ensure the smooth functioning of the system in the absence of the suspended senior officials, which includes the municipality approaching relevant government depart-ments should a need for additional capacity arise.
“Engagement will be made with National Treasury and other institutions to ensure that the suspension of the CFO does not create a vacuum in terms of the smooth running of the municipality,” Nkadimeng said.
