By OBAKENG MAJE

The Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe said, they will embark on a short-listing process for the municipal manager position today. According to Gaoraelwe, the proceedings will take place at the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) offices in Klerkdorp.

The position was left vacant after the former municipal manager, Katlego Gabanakgosi’s contract was terminated unceremoniously. This comes after Gabanakgosi suspended Director of Corporate Services, Dikagisho Mokoma for allegedly misleading the municipality over the R2500 danger allowance.

He also appointed the independent law firm, Magagane Attorneys to investigate Mokoma’s misconduct. The Magagane Attorney presented a damning report that implicated Mokoma and said the municipality has lost over R500 000 due to her action. 

However, that report was pushed aside by the municipal council. This resulted in Mokoma’s suspension lapsing and she returned to work without facing any disciplinary hearing. 

Gaoraelwe said Mokoma’s suspension was illegal and irregular because there was no council resolution on the decision to suspend her.   

“It is true that we will be embarking on a short-listing process for the municipal manager position today. The short-listing process does not have a specific venue, besides, we had a challenge with the availability of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) and SALGA officials, who should be part of the process.

“So, we decided to go to Klerksdorp, because we do not have any problem of travelling. During the process, the Human Resource Manager (HR manager) and five other officials will form part of the panel,” he said.

Gaoraelwe further said SALGA and COGHSTA officials are normally being used as observers and advisors. It is alleged that Gaoraelwe snubbed unions. 

He said, the embattled Director of Corporate Services, Dikagisho Mokoma will also be part of the proceedings.

“Remember, the HR Manager reports to the Director of Corporate Services until her issues are settled, but she is back at work. The role of the HR Manager is to do secretariat services during the proceedings such as taking minutes.

“Even though Mokoma will be there, she will not form part of the panel. We have received 37 applicants, so I cannot tell how many people will be short-listed until we sit down and go through the process,” said Gaoraelwe said.

He added that, the number does not really matter because, if all applicants meet the requirements, they should be short-listed.

Meanwhile, in a leaked audio that is been circulated on various social media platforms depicting Gaoraelwe’s voice, he was heard vouching for Mokoma for the municipal manager position on an acting basis.  

“I promised Mokoma that, I will fight her battles and she must fight my battles inside because I also have some. For now, I want to talk about the issue of acting municipal manager. I have just received a call from Collen, while I was on my way to Mokassa. When I return, I was called by Sense and when I come to you, Mabogola also called.

“They wanted Makuapane as the acting municipal manager by any means necessary. However, to tell the truth, I wanted Mokoma to be acting municipal manager for my own personal reasons,” said Gaoraelwe.

He allegedly said, the reason he wanted Mokoma for the position was because of some new contracts coming and the next financial year that was approved in December. According to Gaoraelwe, there will allegedly be an increase in the number of consultants at the municipality too.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

By OBAKENG MAJE

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said, it will challenge president, Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision after declaring the ‘state of disaster’ over the energy crisis.

Ramaphosa said this during the State of the National Address (SONA) on Thursday evening at City Hall in Cape Town. However, the DA leader, John Steenhuisen said the decision is ‘dangerous and desperate’.

“We have already briefed our lawyers to challenge the announcement in court. South Africa has been down this road before and during the COVID-19 disaster, we saw the fatal flaws in the National State of Disaster legislation.

“That allowed the ANC unfettered power to loot without any parliamentary oversight. The DA is already in court to declare the Disaster Management Act unconstitutional and we will now do the same to prevent the ANC looting frenzy that will follow Ramaphosa’s dangerous and desperate announcement like night follows day,” he said.

Steenhuisen further said, the country simply cannot survive another round of the looting and irrationality they saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that, last time around, the lack of accountability under the National State of Disaster enabled Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – who is again in charge of managing the ANC-made load-shedding disaster – to issue nonsensical and economically destructive regulations that were entirely disconnected from COVID-19, including banning everything from cooked chicken to open-toed shoes and alcohol.

“The National State of Disaster under the guise of dealing with the load shedding crisis will similarly empower the ANC to abuse procurement processes and issue nonsensical regulations that have nothing to do with the electricity crisis.

“The DA will not sit back and allow the ANC to abuse the electricity disaster it created to loot and further abuse the people of South Africa. Instead of punishing the people with a sweeping disaster declaration for the damage wrought by decades of ANC corruption and cadre deployment at Eskom, the DA has consistently called for urgent and focused interventions in the energy sector,” said Steehuisen.

He said, they reiterate their call to urgently loosen the regulatory noose around the electricity system’s neck by incentivising massive private sector investment in generation and removing impediments like localisation requirements and BEE to enable Eskom to recruit the skilled people it so desperately needs to speed up maintenance and unbundling.

Steenhuisen said the rest of Ramaphosa’s address was characterised by the same delusion that led to the disaster declaration.

“He talked of electric cars in a country that does not have electricity. He talked of hope in a country that has lost all hope. He also created yet another minister to add to the other two already getting in the way of a solution to the energy crisis.

“Instead of decentralising control and trusting in the market mechanism, Ramaphosa has opted to centralise even more power in his own Super Presidency – which lacks democratic oversight mechanisms, with Parliament lying in ruins and the Presidency having no portfolio committee to oversee it,” he said.

taungdailynews@gmail.com