Umuziwabantu Municipality in Harding has been accused of reportedly failing to fill critical vacancies for the past four years.
The vacant posts which are of particular concern include those of Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Services.
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The IFP has blamed the delay in appointing suitable candidates on ANC ‘squabbles and infighting’, further claiming this was affecting the functionality of the municipality.
According to IFP councillor and executive council member, Vuyelwa Sambo Vezi, these positions had been vacant for more than four years, with individuals being appointed only in an acting capacity.
Councillor Vezi has also claimed council deliberately delayed the appointment of permanent officials because of its policy of cadre deployment.
“We are now more convinced than ever that these alarmingly high vacancies are not as a result of lack of skilled applicants. We believe jobs are reserved for certain individuals in certain factions as payment for pushing political agendas,” he said.
The IFP said it could not keep quiet while the municipality was gradually turned into a ‘factional employment agency’ for some.
“This infighting affects service delivery and the ongoing factional battles among those in power is taking its toll on the poor who are in dire need,” Cllr Vezi said.
Umuziwabantu mayor Dixie Nciki dismissed the claims, saying the municipality had been running perfectly well and made reference to the fact that the municipality had recently received a clean audit.
She added they were in the process of filling the vacancies.
ANC spokesman Selvan Chetty said the municipality was ‘at an advanced stage’ of the recruitment process.
“The process of shortlisting has been completed, and we expect that interviews will be held in the coming days to finalise the selected candidates to present to council for approval,” he said.
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Mr Chetty also said that the ANC was wary of the fact that since it was election season, opposition parties were willing to do whatever they could to try and garner public support.
“Whatever they may say, the ANC remains the voice and the champion of the people at Umuziwabantu. Independent Electoral Committee (IEC) records over the past few years, which include by-elections won by the ANC, remain for all to see.”
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