ETHEKWINI Municipality has vowed to tackle the backlog of staff disciplinary cases which have arisen from investigations and reports by the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU).
The decision to act on this matter and details of a strategy the City will implement to address the backlog, were favourably received by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 29 October.
EThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has also called for the Executive Committee to be updated every two months on progress made in addressing the backlog of cases.
The CIIU investigates allegations of fraud and corruption as well as financial misconduct within eThekwini Municipality.
The Unit produces investigative reports with relevant recommendations including recommending that employees be subject to formal disciplinary action.
These reports are submitted to senior line management for implementation.
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In a report tabled at Exco it was revealed that the city was dealing with a backlog of 300 CIIU investigative reports recommending disciplinary action, which remain unresolved.
It went on to say that a directive from the City Manager’s office called for a project team to be appointed to come up with a plan of action to deal with the backlog.
It would also be required to monitor the implementation of the plan and recommendations to prevent future backlogs.
The project team comprises of representatives from CIIU, the Legal and Compliance Unit and the Human Resources Unit.
Kaunda said space should be given to allow the committee to work and implement the plan. He instructed that it should work with transparency and accountability, saying no official was above the law.
“We cannot go into the details of the cases as it could hamper parallel investigations being done by the police or Hawks. But I can assure you that no case will be suppressed with all cases following the correct course,” he said.
System needs reworking, says DA
DEMOCRATIC Alliance (DA) eThekwini Caucus Leader Councillor Nicole Graham said the party was pleased progress was finally being made.
“What happens is that cases are investigated by the CIIU and then sent to line departments, but what has been happening is that line departments haven’t really been doing anything about the reports. The system will basically establish support to deal with the reports, which I think is necessary,” she said.
Graham said that in Council, the DA had proposed a tracking mechanism for the system, as at the moment, the City’s policies say that reports have to be dealt with in 10 days once given to the line department, but there is no actual way for councillors, complainants, the public, whistle-blowers and the media, who have an interest in cases, to track how the process is going.
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“For example, if there was a publicly accessible grid, it forces accountability. This was unfortunately voted down but is something we will continue to drive as there does need to be more action. The system however does need reworking so it can’t be manipulated. Until we safeguard that manipulation, I don’t think the problem will be resolved,” she said.
Save Our Berea responds
CHERYL Johnson and Kevin Dunkley from civic organisation Save Our Berea said they welcomed the news.
“As civic activists we have a wealth of information, collected over six years, of corruption and malfeasance in this city. We are positive citizens who believe in a just South Africa and a just and caring eThekwini Metro. Yet our offers to assist the municipality fell on deaf ears,” they said.
However, the duo said they remained a bit cynical considering the City had been labelled the most corrupt in the country.
“It never got that title by chance and the mayor needs to acknowledge that the people that put us there are his colleagues who have protected each other and turned a blind eye to the actions of corrupt officials. We would ask seriously whether the City Integrity and Investigative Unit is capable of carrying out their mandate. We would ask the same of the City Manager who has overseen much of what has gone on. The questions we would ask, are whether there is not corruption in the ranks of the CIIU or at best, people not qualified to carry out their task. It is common knowledge that they have been threatened,” they said.
An example, they said, was the debacle of 317 Currie Road, which they described as one of the worst town planning decisions made in the country.
“City officials misled the High Court and then withheld vital information from the Appeals Court. The CIIU made no attempt to investigate this high profile case until it was put under pressure by us and Advocate Tayob Aboobaker. The City then refused to make the report public and its contents are only known because a whistle-blower released the report. Yet the City hid behind a whole set of unjustifiable reasons when our Constitution specifically has set the release of information to its citizens as a fundamental goal. Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done. We believe that although the report did investigate and report on what happened, the conclusions were a whitewash,” they said.
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