SAMWU concerns over Nelson Mandela Metro and illicit ANC action of holding Municipal leadership hostage
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in the Nelson Mandela Metro Region wishes to raise the following concerns that have a direct impact on our members.
1. The unprecedented conduct that took place at the African National Congress (ANC) Nelson Mandela Metro Headquarters (Florence Matomela House) where the Mayor, the Speaker and the Chief Whip of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality were taken hostage.
SAMWU in the Nelson Mandela Metro Region strongly condemns the illicit action by the ANC regional leadership that took place 13th August 2012 where the Mayor, the Speaker and the Chief Whip were held hostage by the same ruling party of which they are deployees of (see New Age report).
The ANC regional office is holding this Metropolitan Municipality at ransom and it further vindicates our view that the aborted Mayoral committee meetings are a deliberate move by the same ANC regional leadership, to undermine service delivery to communities of this Metro. Mayoral committee meetings were not held since April this year.
It is the South African Municipal Workers Unions view that this action is part of the broader plan to loot the resources of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, for self-enrichment by the ANC "tenderpreneurs."
The community of the Nelson Mandela Metro including the employees of this Municipality are unfavourably affected by this political turmoil, as it compromises service delivery and development.
Communities in this region want the creation of jobs and the alleviation of poverty, as opposed to infightings that are informed by "tenderpreunership." We call upon the National Office of the ANC at Luthuli to speedily intervene and resolve this political quagmire. All current political attempts through the political management committee process as led by Derrick Hanekom have not yielded any positive results.
As municipal workers, we are committed to reverse this situation and defend our Municipality, working together with communities, civil society, business and non-governmental organizations. We are committed to reclaiming our Metro for political stability, effective leadership for service delivery and development.
2. Non functionality of the council structures, in particular the Mayoral Committee
SAMWU leadership is disappointed and concerned that the convened Mayoral Committee meetings do not sit because some councillors do not attend these meetings.
SAMWU leadership is of the view that the non-attendance by some councillors is deliberate and is due to this unstable political condition in the Metro.
This situation has a direct and negative impact on our members, as the decisions taken in the consultation structures such as the Local Labour Forum, which should be discussed in the Mayoral Committee, get delayed and lead to non-implementation of the decisions and agreements agreed in the Local Labour Forum.
SAMWU leadership in the Nelson Mandela Metro Region call upon the Executive Mayor (Councillor Zanoxolo Wayile) and the Chief Whip (Councillor Sibeko) to decisively use the powers vested in their respective offices, to discipline the concerned councillors who continuously fail to attend these Mayoral Committee meetings.
3. Appointment of the Municipal Manager
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) has been without a Municipal Manager since 2009, when Mr Graham Richards was sacked.
Since then the NMBM has been in the hands of the Acting Municipal Managers and any attempt to fill in this critical Municipal Manager position have been marred by problems, which are not limited to external political interference, to the extent that there's no hope that this position will ever be filled.
This delay in filling the Municipal Manager position has led to the total collapse of the administration and service delivery to the NMBM communities.
4. Appointment of sec 57 and other senior positions.
The current situation of the section 57 Managers reporting to the Municipal Manager out of the nine (9) only three (3) Executive Directors are permanent, the rest are occupied by acting incumbents including the acting municipal manager
This situation renders the administration ineffective and makes the line of authority very weak, which leads to poor performance and service delivery.
We are once again calling upon the Executive Mayor to exercise the powers vested in him to urgently appoint a permanent suitable Municipal Manager.
If the positions are not filled by end of September 2012, the Metro should request the intervention of the MEC and Minister of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to rescue the administration of the Metro.
The continued political bickering, power struggle and meddling in the administration of the Municipality is seriously compromising and failing the citizens of this Municipality.
Statement issued by SAMWU Nelson Mandela Metro, August 15 2012
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