by Harold McGluwa, MPL – DA Northern Cape Provincial Chairperson & Chief Whip of the Provincial Caucus ![]() Date: 22 June 2020Release: Immediate Confirmation by the Office of the Public Protector, of irregular appointments made at the Dawid Kruiper municipality in Upington, are serious cause for concern and necessitate that measures be put in place to stop the ongoing practice of cadre deployment within Northern Cape municipalities.Based on the preliminary findings by the Office of the Public Protector, the appointments of Mr David Ntlanganiso as the Senior Superintendent: Parks of the Municipality; Mr Petrus May as the Chief Officer: Integrated Development Planning; and Ms Rahal George, as the Senior Clerk in the Office of the Speaker, on a temporary basis with effect from 1 September 2016, do in fact translate into improper conduct and maladministration by the municipality.The findings come after DA councillor, Flip Van Der Steen, previously lodged a complaint with the Office of the Public Protector, after the three former ANC councillors, who failed to hold onto their positions during the 2016 local government elections, were rewarded with temporary municipal positions by then Municipal Manager, Deshi Ngxanga. The positions were never advertised and no interviews were conducted. Instead, the appointments were based solely on the discretion of Mr Ngxanga.All three positions later became permanent after which Mr David Ntlanganiso and Mr Petrus May were later moved to other positions while George was moved to the Department of Roads and Public Works.In particular, the Office of the Public Protector has found that conduct of the former Municipal Manager constitutes improper conduct as envisaged in terms of section 182(1) of the Constitution maladministration in terms of section 6(4)(a)(i) and abuse or unjustifiable exercise of the power in terms of section 6(4)(a)(ii)of the Public Protector Act.However, given that Mr Ngxanga is no longer employed at the Dawid Kruiper Municipality, a section 7(9) notice in terms of the Public Protector Act, 1994 could apparently not be issued in respect of the temporary appointments. In effect, the Office of the Public Protector recommends that the file be closed.The DA, however, is not prepared to let this issue slip through the cracks, as it is mirrored in municipalities throughout the Northern Cape and needs to be decisively dealt with in order to set a new precedent within local government.The DA will therefore request the Office of the Public Protector to take the matter further and investigate whether or not the subsequent positions held by the three councillors, at the municipality and at the Department of Roads & Public Works, were ever advertised.The DA will also refer this matter to COGHSTA MEC, Bentley Vass. We want him to study the findings of the Public Protector’s report and ultimately launch an investigation into which posts within Dawid Kruiper municipality are legitimate and which were created merely for the reward of political cadres.Given a fast depleting financial baseline across all spheres of government, coupled with collapsing infrastructure at a local government level, municipalities can no longer be treated as a fallback for the politically connected.Only a public service filled with competent and professional individuals, as opposed to loyal cadres, will be able set government on a new path towards efficiency and service delivery. Media Enquiries Harold McGluwa, MPLDA Northern Cape Provincial Chairperson & Chief Whip of the Provincial Caucus082 440 1779 Shelley de WittResearcher0828471387 |
