Mayor Gumede unlawfully appoints Acting Municipal Manager

24 January 2017

The Executive Mayor of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Zandile Gumede, has again broken the law with the recent appointment of Phillip Sithole as the Acting Municipal Manager.

Mayor Gumede unlawfully appointed Mr Sithole without the support of the Council, as is required by law.

Indeed, in terms of Section 54A of the Local Government Systems Act (2000), the “Municipal Council must appoint the acting municipal manager under circumstances and for a period as prescribed”.

The DA has demanded that the appointment of Mr Sithole be set aside as unlawful, and that the matter be brought again before the Council.

I will also request that the Council sanction Mayor Gumede, and request that an explanation for this misconduct be tabled before the assembly as soon as possible.

This follows Mayor Gumede’s similarly unlawful suspension of the former Municipal Manager, Sibu Sithole, which had to be reversed following the DA’s intervention.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Mayor is simply not up to the job of governing eThekwini. If she is incapable of abiding by the laws of South Africa, then she should step aside.

Our people demand effective leadership, so that we can create jobs and deliver better services. The DA will continue to make sure that this happens.

Issued by Zwakele Mncwango, DA KZN Provincial Leader, 24 January 2017