Residents call for immediate reinstatement of KwaDukuza CFO

Civic bodies are demanding the reinstatement of suspended municipal chief financial officer, Shamir Rajcoomar.

The ‘Big Four’ of KwaDukuza’s largest ratepayer associations launched a petition last week which has so far amassed over 400 signatures.

Led by the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (Docrra) the petition also includes the KwaDukuza Residents Forum, iLembe Community Action Movement and KwaDukuza Organised Residents Alliance.

It follows the suspension and subsequent legal processes undertaken against Rajcoomar, who has been suspended by the KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) with full pay for almost a year.

He was initially suspended for alleged financial misconduct around fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure relating to bank charges of R37 000, but to date no evidence to support this claim has been produced.

Docrra said they believe the municipality’s legal costs alone have passed R3-million, aside from the continued payment of Rajcoomar’s salary.

“We are calling upon all residents of KwaDukuza to sign this petition and end this abuse of the public purse – we want CFO Rajcoomar reinstated now,” said Docrra chairman, Deon Viljoen.

“We are proud to stand alongside other KwaDukuza civil society groups in this collective effort – we are stronger together.”

Public opinion on the suspension has largely swung in favour of Rajcoomar who has been credited for sound financial management at KDM.

“Now more than ever, amid great political change in our country, our municipality needs prudent financial management by a capable individual who has the experience and expertise to safeguard our rates and taxes,” said Viljoen.

“Rajcoomar, throughout his tenure at KDM, has proven that he is the man for the job, and the many unqualified audits KDM have received under him are a testament to this fact.”

To read the petition in full, visit docrra.co.za/petition.

In response, KDM confirmed that Rajcoomar had been receiving full pay during his suspension, but denied the accuracy of the R3-million legal costs figure.

“This cannot be confirmed at this stage, it will have to be worked out in terms of the invoices received and payments made,” said KDM spokesperson, Simphiwe Magagula.

“The costs of the matter will only be determined when the court concludes the case and awards the costs. Therefore, any mentioning of the costs is misleading and disingenuous from Docrra.”

Aside from the petition, KDM had also faced political pressure to reinstate Rajcoomar over the past month.

At the end of May, the regional African National Congress (ANC) called for his reinstatement after a special council meeting to discuss the matter was cancelled because no quorum was reached.

“As the ANC in the region, we believe that the CFO remains innocent until proven otherwise. As such, like all citizens of this country, his rights must be respected,” said ANC regional secretary, Sphesihle Zulu, in May.

When asked whether the special council meeting was called to reinstate the CFO, KDM were noncommittal.

“We cannot pre-empt what the council would have decided, and it would have been an in-committee meeting anyway,” said Magagula.

A new date for the special council meeting had not yet been confirmed.

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