Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Flip Van der Steen, Cllr – DA Whip, Dawid Kruiper Municipality |
| Date: 05 October 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is calling on the Municipal Manager (MM) of Dawid Kruiper municipality, Mr Elias Ntoba, to waste no time in taking remedial action in respect of dodgy appointments at the institution that occurred before his time.This comes after the Office of the Public Protector last week released its findings on an investigation into the appointment of former ANC councillors to the municipality, after their political terms came to an end in 2016. This, after I initially laid a complaint with the Public Protector (PP) in respect of the appointments in 2016 already.In respect of the appointment of three ex-councillors, namely Mr SP May, Ms R George and Mr DZ Ntlanganiso, the DA welcomes the fact that the PP substantiated the DA’s claims that Human Resource policies were not properly followed and that the posts were not advertised, as well as that the conduct of the municipality was improper, constituting maladministration and resulting in irregular expenditure.For years the DA has been saying that processes were sidestepped and that the appointments were highly questionable. Our concerns were merely pushed aside but we are relieved that a formal ruling on the appointments has finally been made.Mr Ntoba must now waste no time in taking disciplinary action against all staff involved in making the irregular appointments in 2016 and seeing to it that a judicial review of the appointments is urgently initiated, as was recommended by the PP. This is apparently necessary before the positions can be declared null and void.At the same time, Mr Ntoba must also take Council and all councillors, including the opposition councillors, into his confidence, as he prepares an action plan to be submitted to the PP. The irregular appointments highlight the need for transparency in all municipal decisions and Mr Ntoba must ensure that this time around, everything is done according to the book.The DA will monitor the response of Mr Ntoba to the PP. The MM has thirty days to submit an action plan and we will hold him accountable to this deadline. |
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