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IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Joburg council under fire for questionable acting appointments and secondments
The City of Johannesburg council has been warned against approving the extension of several acting appointments, including that of temporary City Manager Tshepo Makola. Image: Nhlanhla Phillips / Independent Newspapers The City of Johannesburg has been warned against extending several acting appointments in senior positions. It has also asked Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, to second top officials to act. This week, the ANC-led Government of Local Unity tabled in council a report on the progress made in filling senior manager positions, the current recruitment of senior manager positions, vacant senior manager positions, and current acting arrangements. In acting City Manager Tshepo Makola's position, council was due to permit Mayor Dada Morero to request in writing that Mamabolo second a suitable candidate, on such conditions as prescribed, and/or to request the extension of his current acting appointment to act in the advertised position of city manager until such time a suitable person has been appointed. There are also positions of managers directly accountable to the city manager that the council wanted to authorise Makola or his delegate to request Mamabolo to second a suitable candidate, on such conditions as prescribed, and/or to appoint any internal suitable divisional senior manager to act in the advertised position of a manager directly accountable to the city manager, until such time a suitable person has been appointed. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The positions, all in acting capacities, include Group Head of Communication and Marketing Candice Molefe, Executive Head: Social Development Dr Tinashe Mushayanyama, Head of the Public Safety Department Andries Mucavele, Chief Operations Officer, Helen Botes, Executive Head: Human Settlements Oupa Nkoane, and Executive Head Office of the City Manager Siyabonga Nodu. In Mushayanyama and Molefe's acting appointments, the city sought Mamabolo's agreement to extend the acting period by three months, or until such time a suitable person has been appointed. According to the municipality, legislation concerning a vacant city manager position appears to authorise requesting a secondment from Mamabolo only after the initial six-month acting period has lapsed, but does not allow a request for a waiver, or to appoint an acting city manager from its current directly accountable managers. 'In respect of managers directly accountable to the municipal (city) manager, the legislation is silent and does not instruct for a request for secondment, meaning the municipality may appoint another person to act as a manager directly accountable to the city manager,' noted the City of Joburg. The municipality also indicated that a 2022 circular on the implementation of the Municipal Systems Amendment Act seems to suggest that after the lapse of six months, the municipal council must request for secondment. However, the DA has warned against the 'troubling' move, stating that the council, or any other official within the city, lacks the legal authority to appoint a different person to act in a vacant position after the expiry of another person's three-month acting period. 'Yet it appears that that is precisely what has occurred within the city. Council does not have the power to 'approve' or 'ratify' expired acting roles, including acting roles that have surpassed three months,' the DA cautioned on Wednesday, through its lawyers, Minde Schapiro & Smith Inc. The party said Makola requested Mamabolo to extend the acting periods that have already expired when he (Mamabolo) has no such power. Makola disclosed no 'special circumstances' or 'good cause' warranting an extension of the acting appointments, according to the DA.
The Citizen
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
City of Johannesburg councillor allegedly used municipality's BMW X3 for political activities in KZN, says DA
A court ruling this year stripped most members of the mayoral committee of their bodyguards and luxury official vehicles. The DA in Johannesburg is requesting an urgent investigation into the use of a city-owned luxury vehicle by one of the members of the Government of Local Unity (GLU) for party activities. The party claims that one of the members of the mayoral committee travelled to KwaZulu-Natal last weekend using the City's BMW X3. This vehicle was part of the security detail for members of the mayoral committee before the South Gauteng High Court put an end to the City's controversial VIP Protection Policy. In a statement, DA shadow MMC for Public Safety, Solomon Maila, said the mayor should investigate if the implicated councillor is in contempt of court. 'The DA in Johannesburg has written to Executive Mayor Dada Morero to ensure that a full investigation is conducted into allegations that a member of his Mayoral Committee travelled to the eThekwini area in KwaZulu-Natal for party-political activities during the weekend of 30 May to 1 June 2025 using the City's official BMW without consent. 'The DA understands that this vehicle was procured as part of the City's implementation of the VIP Protection Policy that was declared unconstitutional and invalid Gauteng High Court on 2 January 2025,' he said. The municipality bank card is used for fuel Maila said whistleblowers had informed them that the BMW X3 had been refuelled twice over the weekend when it was in use at the ratepayers' expense. 'Which suggests that it travelled for more than 1000 km in that period. 'According to the DA's sources in the city, the First National Bank (FNB) card linked to the said vehicle was used for the refueling and the payment of tollgates to and from KwaZulu-Natal,' Maila said. He said this was an abuse of municipal resources if the allegations are true. 'These allegations point to a possible unlawful use of a motor vehicle without the necessary consent. If proven, these allegations would mean that the said MMC has also acted in contempt of the High Court, which is another criminal offence,' he said. The DA says it wants the mayor to investigate the movements of the vehicle between May 30 and June 1, 2025. ALSO READ: DA tables motion of no confidence in Johannesburg mayor and speaker 'Criminal charges must be laid' The DA also wants to know the identity and portfolio of the MMC who used the vehicle, as well as details about the driver and their role within the Department of Public Safety. 'The DA will not rest until there is full accountability. Criminal charges must be laid against the implicated MMC and every municipal official in the city who aided and abetted the MMC in the commission of these alleged criminal offences. 'The culture of criminal impunity in the city must be nipped in the bud,' he said. NOW READ: 'Joburg is in free fall' — Next month could be make or break for Mayor Dada Morero
