Political parties join forces against TCLM
The African Unified Movement (AUM) and the DA have joined forces in submitting a motion of no confidence against Friddah Nkadimeng, the executive mayor of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) in Lydenburg.
In the past month, the list of misconduct allegations against Nkadimeng and Sphiwe Matsi, the municipal manager (MM) of TCLM, has lengthened. Firstly, Matsi appeared in the Mashishing Regional Court.
She is facing 11 cases of alleged violations of the National Environmental Management Act (Nema) of 2008. Secondly, a request was handed in at the Office of the Mayor by Cllrs Marius Opperman and Spiros Couvaras on April 14. The DA called for immediate disciplinary actions against Matsi, partly because of the Nema trial. Thirdly, Eskom has again highlighted the fact that TCLM is not making strides in paying back the R1b debt.
Fourthly, a no-confidence motion against Nkadimeng was submitted to TCLM on Thursday May 5 by Cllr Peter Makhubela (AUM) and seconded by DA Cllr Comfort Sibiya. The above motion (in terms of rule 51 of the standing municipal rules and order) followed the allegation that Nkadimeng apparently misled the council that the MM’s contract had expired. The MEC for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Busisiwe Shiba, reminded Nkadimeng that Matsi’s contract had to be revised, but this was not adhered to.
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“There is more than one issue the AUM mentioned in the motion. Firstly the misleading of the council regarding the municipal manager’s contract. Secondly, the executive mayor didn’t manage to provide a financial recovery plan. TCLM owes Eskom R1b. The lack of service delivery leads to unending protests by the community. There is a lack of strategy to control the municipal expenditures,” said Makhubela. He also said a compactor truck had been stolen under the supervision of the executive mayor in 2020.
“There is nothing illegal about the conclusion of the MM’s employment contract. The same legislation referred to above, ie, section 57 of the Municipal Systems Act of 2000, enables municipal councils to appoint municipal managers for a term not exceeding five years. There is nothing sinister about the appointment of the MM for the term of five years. It was understood by both council and Matsi that despite the term of her contract, they are bound by the provisions of section 57(6) of the Municipal Systems Act. This is not a situation peculiar to only Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, but to several municipalities in Mpumalanga and other provinces,” said Themba Sibiya, the spokesperson for TCLM.
Matsi will appear in the Mashishing Regional Court on Monday June 13 again.
