The municipal manager of the Lekwa Municipality, Ms Gugulethu Mhlongo-Ntshangase, has not disclosed a salary increase to council to be approved, making it only one of the allegations against her office.
The Standerton Advertiser is in the possession of a copy of a letter, dated 25 September, on a Lekwa-letterhead, in which the mayor, Mr Linda Dhlamini, gave Ms Mhlongo-Ntshangase another opportunity to make a written representation to council, giving reasons why she should not be put on precautionary suspension. The cut-off date was seven days after receiving the letter.
A rumour surfaced that she is politically aligned with the regional leadership of the ANC and that council is divided on her suspension.
An informant notified the newspaper on Tuesday, 29 September about an ANC-march to the municipal building in Mbonani Mayisela Street, purportedly a split group intent on removing her from office, as well as the ANC-councillors who voted in support of the motion of no confidence in the mayor and speaker, Ms Makhosazana Khota.
The informant was spot on and a small, yellow t-shirted group began walking from the Standerton Taxi Rank, on their way to the main municipal building in Mbonani Mayisela Street.
The street showed signs of a protest, taking the number of black refuse bags into account, as well as the rubbish placed strategically at the two intersections, making it difficult for motorists.
No entry to the municipal offices was possible since the security gate to the payment offices was closed.
The motion of no confidence dates back to Monday, 10 February when the ANC supported the DA-motion and the two officials were ousted. After a secret ballot, the DA had a majority of 16.
“The incompetence of the mayor and speaker crippled the municipality and rendered council ineffective and dysfunctional,” Ms Sithi Silosini, PR-counsellor of the DA, then said.
Any euphoria was short-lived since the provincial executive committee of the ANC announced in February that they return to office.
Mr Dhlamini said in the letter to the MM that her inability to ensure that proper accounting records are kept and made available to the Auditor-General as and when required, amounts to negligence or dereliction of duty.
The newspaper covered the findings of the Auditor-General and forensic report on the Lekwa Municipality.
As regards to the salary increment for the municipal manager and senior managers, the Government Gazette publishes the upper limits annually, which council should be notified of.
The mayor is required to submit the remuneration package of the MM and the HODs to the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).It should, according to Mr Dhlamini, be an item on the agenda of a council meeting.
The basic salary for February this year of Ms Mhlongo-Ntshangase is mentioned, the change thereof and a back payment in March. According to the mayor, it was not disclosed to council for a resolution in this regard.
The Standerton Advertiser began its enquiries on 11 September when a WhatsApp-message was sent to the communications manager of the Lekwa Municipality, Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, asking what the official position on the MM’s future was.
Ms Mtshiselwa replied the same day that there is no official position until all internal processes are in place and council makes a resolution.
