Suspension of CFO Rajcoomar revoked by KwaDukuza council
Rajcoomar's suspension has been one of the most hotly debated issues among KwaDukuza residents over the past year.
Shamir Rajcoomar has been reappointed as municipal CFO following a unanimous council decision to overturn his suspension.
Decided in a special meeting last Wednesday, the council resolution took immediate effect and Rajcoomar returned to work at the KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) offices on Monday – with armed guards in tow.
The council decision, made in-committee and not open to the public, follows months of mounting public pressure to have the CFO reappointed.
The Courier reported on a petition led by four major civic bodies to have him reappointed just two weeks ago.
And despite ongoing legal proceedings between the municipality and Rajcoomar, council had the power to reverse his suspension, just as they passed it almost a year ago.
In the interim, the CFO’s municipal suspension hearing was put on hold as a result of two high court filings, while the two parties were in arbitration at the local government bargaining council at the time of reinstatement.
Estimates by the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (Docrra) put municipal legal costs over the suspension at over R3-million.
KDM previously denied the figure, saying that full accounting could not be done until the legal proceedings were completed.
Nevertheless, Rajcoomar’s suspension has been one of the most hotly debated issues among KwaDukuza residents over the past year.
A council meeting called to resolve the issue early last month failed because of a lack of a quorum, but there was no such problem this time around.
It is understood, however, that around 10 councillors did not join the meeting citing various combinations of sickness, family responsibility and safety concerns.
But a quorum was reached and the motion to reinstate Rajcoomar passed unanimously, which indicates support on both sides of the aisle.
It is believed the motion passed despite warnings from municipal manager Nhlanhla Mdakane that the decision could undercut all ongoing legal proceedings and set a precedent for consequence management of senior managers going forward.
Despite being passed on Wednesday afternoon, the council resolution was brought up again in general council the next day as some aspects were left unclear.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) asked for formal clarity on the situation, while ActionSA also asked why Rajcoomar was not present in council following his reinstatement.
“The process followed is one that happens whenever a person is reinstated and that is that it needs to be in writing, equally so when someone is suspended,” said Mdakane.
He committed to communicating with the CFO within three days of the council meeting and it is understood a letter was sent to Rajcoomar on Friday.
The DA welcomed the return, calling it a positive development for the municipality.
“The resolution of council has set a precedent, that administrators and political cabals should be cautious when attempting to settle their nefarious agendas by blatantly misleading council,” said DA caucus whip, Privi Makhan.
Makhan said the party had written to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to request an independent opinion on the suspension and report on the associated costs.
Civic organisations behind the petition also welcomed the outcome.
“I’m delighted to hear that the CFO is back in his position and it is very timely because it is at the beginning of a new financial year,” said Docrra chairman, Deon Viljoen.
“Docrra will be scrutinising the annual general statements from the previous year to see if there is anything untoward that happened during the year he was away.”
“This is evidence that when businesses, political parties and the community stand together to face an injustice, that it works.”
There is still a lack of clarity surrounding much of the reinstatement, including what will happen to the various legal proceedings.
Municipal sources also alleged that the sheriff of the court arrived at KDM’s offices on Monday, ready to seize assets in settlement of a debt the municipality owed.
It was alleged that KDM did not pay the CFO’s legal costs as ordered by a court in January and had to pay R60 000 for the sheriff to leave the premises.
KDM did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the sheriff allegation, nor more generally on the CFO’s reinstatement.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
