North West council defies ANC order to suspend municipal manager

The municipal manager of Madibeng municipality in the North West Province has so far escaped the axe after the council on Thursday defied an ANC instruction to suspend him pending a probe into his serious misconduct.

R11-million electricity project

Instead of suspending municipal manager Quiet Kgatla, the divided council appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against him. It’s the second time the municipality has failed to act against Kgatla, who is accused of irregularly appointing a contractor for the R11-million project to provide electricity to Damonsville in Brits.

It’s alleged that Kgatla appointed the supplier as an emergency measure without following the usual tender process, which includes advertising the project and appointing a contractor that is suitable for the task.

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The new service provider was hired on 30 January after the first contractor withdrew from the project. It’s alleged that Kgatla violated the law as he bypassed the standard procurement procedures and resorting to emergency expenditures.

Suspension recommended for Kgatla

The ANC Bojanala regional executive recommended that Kgatla be placed on precautionary suspension with full salary pending the outcome of an independent investigation. The ANC provincial leadership endorsed this, but the council, led by Mayor Douglas Maimane and council speaker Ditshego Mbezi, defied the decision.

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In a letter to the council, which demanded an explanation, Kgatla said the withdrawal of the first contractor delayed the start of the electrification project. The delay caused an increase in illegal connections, technical losses and high energy costs due to the non-collection of revenue.

Kgatla denies any wrongdoing, saying the allegations levelled at him are baseless as the whistleblower had insufficient information and documentary proof.

Kgatla said the Damonsville project required immediate intervention to uphold the municipality’s commitment to service delivery and avoid unrest from the residents. He said a failure to act decisively would have damaged public confidence in the municipality and exposed it to legal and financial risks.

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