Confusion over Mogale City's municipal manager

Johannesburg – The ANC and DA are at loggerheads over the appointment of Mogale City’s acting municipal manager.

The ANC speaker in the DA-controlled council objected to the mayor’s choice of candidate for the job, and called for Gauteng human settlements MEC Paul Mashatile to intervene.

On Tuesday, mayor Lynn Pannall and Mashatile each sent a letter to council, announcing the appointment of different acting municipal managers.

The position became vacant at the end of October, when Dan Mashitisho’s contract came to an end.

Pannall announced that current chief operations officer, Abe Mbulawa, had been appointed to the position with effect from November 1 until December 31, 2016.

Mashatile however reinstated Mashatisho until a suitable candidate could be found.

ANC speaker Patrick Lipuli had asked the MEC to intervene after he claimed that Mbulawa’s appointment was invalid.

“Mbulawa has self-appointed himself as the politician or councillor who is now challenging the offices of the speaker and MEC of Cogta for his own personal interest,” Lipuli wrote in a letter to councillors.

Mashatile’s spokesperson Keith Khoza said the MEC was within his mandate to make an appointment. The reason for Mashatile’s actions was due to questions about whether Mbulawa met the requirements to hold the post.

“He has jurisdiction in municipalities, particularly in a situation where council has not appointed a municipal manager,” Khoza said.

DA provincial leader John Moodey said council appointed Mbulawa and any request for Mashatile to intervene had to come from council. He called for Lipuli and the head of department who sent the letter to be disciplined.

Moodey said he would not allow Mashatile to make decisions in Mogale City while a competent mayor was in place.

“He should take that chance. I will take him to court. They will not govern Mogale through the back door,” he told News24.

Pannall had been accused of running the municipality from home. She had allegedly not been at work since September.

Moodey said she fell ill around two weeks ago, but was continuing to do her job. She was still responsible for key staffing decisions, especially senior positions like municipal manager.

The DA won the position of Mogale City mayor through a coalition with opposition parties following the August 3 local government elections. It was one of the metros the ANC lost support in.

This article first appeared on News24.