Endumeni Council re-appoints financial manager despite protests
Mkhize, who was previously Endumeni's Chief Financial Officer, left office in 2017 after a settlement was reached between her and the-then Council.
Despite a wrangle that split the Endumeni council, a decision has been made to reappoint Bonga Mkhize as the municipality’s chief financial officer (CFO). Her employment was terminated in 2017 following allegations of corruption.
Following an agreement, she left her post. With the post vacant after the previous incumbent had left, the council reappointed Mkhize on July 3, but this was later revoked following claims that she had previously left ‘under a cloud’. She then approached a lawyer, and Mayor Siyabonga Ndlovu told a recent council meeting that a panel of specialists – which included members of the Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) – had addressed the issue to ensure that the proper channels were followed during Mkhize’s reappointment.
“CoGTA encouraged us to appoint Mkhize because the municipality cannot operate without a CFO,” Mayor Ndlovu told the council meeting. Opposition parties said they were concerned about who would be responsible for covering Mkhize’s legal fees, since she had engaged the services of a lawyer.
Speaker Andile Nsibande told councillors that ‘we should not get ahead of ourselves, as the municipality is yet to receive any correspondence regarding Mkhize’s legal fees’. Councillor Kheswa (ANC) took on Councillor Abdool (DA), saying that at a council meeting on June 28, he had accused Mkhize of being corrupt and ‘that’s why he (Abdool) does not want her here’.
This sparked heated debate, with Councillor Abdool denying that he had made such a remark, accusing Kheswa of ‘slandering my name’. “I need the transcript of that meeting to see what was said. “This is character assassination and I will demonstrate my innocence,” Abdool exclaimed. Intervening, Mayor Ndlovu said ‘arguments won’t help us move forward, as CoGTA has already recommended that we appoint Mkhize’.
However, Abdool took offence to this, commenting that ‘the mayor may lead the council, but not the DA’. “Just because we are in a coalition agreement with the IFP, it must be known that we were against this decision to appoint Mkhize from the word go,” he remarked. Councillor Zulu (ANC) chipped in that,
“One can see that the coalition between the DA and the IFP is not working. They are always not in agreement, but because of their relationship, they have to end up agreeing.” She asked that the municipal manager ‘look into the relationship between the DA and the IFP’. Councillor Mdluli (ANC) asked that it should be recorded that the decision to appoint Mkhize was not a unanimous one. Despite the acrimony, Mayor Ndlovu said that Mkhize will be taking up her position as CFO.
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