Durban – The eMadlangeni local municipality (Utrecht) in northern KwaZulu-Natal is in the spotlight again after it emerged it has been bending the rules to hire under-qualified and politically-connected employees for senior positions.
The municipality, now run by the IFP (Inkatha Freedom Party) after snatching it from the ANC in November last year, is accused of hiring three senior managers to positions they don’t qualify for.
In one instance, the municipality ignored discrepancies in a CV of a candidate who is married to an IFP officer-bearer and mayor in another northern KwaZulu-Natal town.
It started in February when the municipality started what others have termed a “political witch hunt” by suspending and unilaterally ending contracts of senior employees they suspected to be loyal to the ANC.
In another instance, the municipality fired a director on the basis he was over 65 years old yet was employed in a fixed-term contract.
The employee, Zamokuhle Mkhize, took them to court and won a settlement of R679 000 and the financially struggling municipality is failing to pay it and is now violently blocking the sheriff from removing the attached vehicles from its premises.
In another employment, in March, the municipality wrote to the then MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, Sipho Hlomuka, asking for the authority to appoint Welcome Mpanza as an acting CFO (chief financial officer).
That was after the municipality axed the then CFO, Sane Hlophe, on frivolous charges of misconduct. When Hlophe challenged them, they opted to settle out of court and allowed her to go quietly.
Hlomuka turned down the request to hire Mpanza when he wrote to mayor Mzwakhe Buthelezi to reject the request on the basis that Mpanza only held a diploma and, as such, was underqualified.
“Mr Mpanza holds a National Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting.
“The municipality is directed to take remedial action and appoint a suitably qualified person who meets the academic and experience requirement as stipulated in the regulations,” Hlomuka wrote to Buthelezi in a letter seen by “IOL”.
Again, Hlomuka also rejected a request to appoint Phathokwakhe Zamisa – albeit on a temporary basis – to head the infrastructure and planning department.
“The regulations stipulate that the Director: Technical Services requires at least a Bachelor's Degree or relevant qualification registered on the National Qualifications Framework at NQF 7 with a minimum of 360 credits and a minimum of 5 years of middle management level.
“However, Mr Zamisa holds a National Diploma in Engineering: Electrical.
"The municipality is directed to take remedial action and appoint a suitably qualified candidate who meets the academic and experience requirements as stipulated in the regulations,” Hlomuka wrote to Buthelezi.
Yet, seven months later, these officials are still in their positions even though they are not properly qualified.
The municipality was caught in another employment scandal when a whistle-blower wrote to Cogta again to raise red flags regarding the employment of Nonkululeko Maphisa, 26, as the director of corporate services.
Maphisa is the wife of Mncedisi Maphisa, the controversial mayor of Abaqulusi local municipality (Vryheid), who is an IFP office bearer in the Zululand region.
Maphisa (Nonkululeko) allegedly misrepresented her experience by claiming that she held a position in Ulundi yet she was an intern. That led to her meeting the required five years of experience required for her current position.
The spokesperson of the Cogta in KwaZulu-Natal, Senzelwe Mzila, said they are aware of the allegations and they are probing them.
“The department has received correspondence on this matter and it is being dealt with in line with the department's standard operating procedures,” he said.
eMadlangeni’s municipal manager, Grace Mavundla, said the appointment of Mpanza and Zamisa as Acting CFO and Acting Director of Planning and Development, respectively, was a result of the suspension of the incumbents of these positions.
“The acting appointment was on the basis that they would act in the positions until the disciplinary matters are finalised.
"At the time of their appointment, the Municipal Systems Amendment Act 2011, which clearly defined acting appointments, was not in force and both Mr Zamisa and Mr Mpanza occupied senior management positions in various local municipalities and Council was satisfied that both incumbents were suitable for appointment,” she said.
On the issue of Maphisa, she said they refuted allegations the IFP had a hand in the matter.
“We refute the allegations of the involvement of the IFP or any political party in the recruitment and selection process for the position of DCS.
“The process followed was guided by the Local Government Regulations on the appointment of senior managers.
“The recruitment and selection process was duly reported to the Honourable MEC for Cogta for concurrence.
“That process is duly awaited.”