ALBERTON – The appointment and validity of the employment position of municipal manager Khaya Ngema has been called into question by the recently released results of a case brought to the High Court of South Africa, in June, last year.
The results of the judgment brought against Ngema could result in administrative chaos for the Ekurhuleni council, as following the court directives would mean that all decisions taken by the municipal manager in the last three years would have to be reviewed.
Read: City manager’s position threatened
Opposition party representatives have asked for a special council meeting to be called in order to discuss the repercussions of the judgement.
Democratic Alliance Ekurhuleni caucus leader Fortune Mahano told the RECORD: “It is the duty of councillors to safeguard the interests of the municipality.”
DA elected councillors have also requested that Ngema be prohibited from making any further decisions related to the running of the metro.
Ekurhuleni Council Speaker, Clr Patricia Kumalo, responded to the request from opposition councillors by stating that it would be premature for the council to seek to discuss the matter before the MEC for Housing and Local Government had made a decision on the matter.
She further stated her intent to convene a special meeting once the MEC’s decision has been received.
Kumalo urged councillors to allow the court processes to unfold and stated that prohibiting the municipal manager from making decisions would “plunge the city into an unnecessary crisis”.
The Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa’s (IRASA) Clr Izak Berg stated that any decision taken by the council or the mayoral committee during the period of time after Ngema’s employment expired can be challenged on the basis of not being legally valid.
Berg also asked for a special council meeting to discuss the position of the municipal manager, as all documents signed by him since his contract renewal may be declared null and void and must be condoned by a full council meeting.
