NELSPRUIT – The council of Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) appointed a committee this week to investigate the suspension of Mr Xolani Mzobe, municipal manager (MM). Council held the special meeting on January 14.
Mzobe was suspended by council on November 5, on the recommendation of the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) following an investigation into the finances and governance of MLM. The outcome of the investigation by the committee will see Mzobe either become reinstated or fired. In the meantime, he is suspended on full pay.
Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for MLM, said council acting within the stipulated timeframe. “The disciplinary regulations for senior managers provide for a period of three months during which disciplinary proceedings must commence, so this period has not lapsed,” he said.
Following Cogta’s investigation, the MEC Mr Simon Skhosana, also recommended that Mr Rasheed Matola, general manager of community services in the municipality, be suspended. He was placed on precautionary leave alongside Mzobe, but no action has been taken against him.
Ngala would not comment on internal disciplinary procedures. “As we indicated initially that disciplinary processes are internal matters, as such, we cannot at this stage indicate to you what next course of action is to be or has been taken until this matter has been concluded,” he said.
An integral part of Cogta’s investigation in the municipality’s affairs were expenditure and procurement around the Afcon tournament, which the city co-hosted at the beginning of last year. To date, no audited report on the tournament has been available to council. During the investigation, MLM’s report was further delayed pending the outcome of the investigation. Ngala said, “This report will remain deferred until the matters raised above are concluded, as we hope, you can see they are also related to the report”.
