Municipal manager to be suspended?

POLOKWANE – Municipal manager, Constance Mametja, received a notice of possible suspension and she was asked to reply and give reasons within seven days why she should not be suspended.

This was communicated in a special council meeting on Monday to councillors by mayor Thembi Nkadimeng. However, the information was leaked to the media.

All the attendees of the special council meeting, except council members, were asked to leave the meeting while Nkadimeng addressed the council about the intended suspension of Mametja.

All attempts by Review to contact Mametja were unsuccessful as she was, according to her personal assistant, unavailable. Review was referred to the municipal spokesperson for comment.

According to municipal spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene, she did not know when the notice was handed to Mametja, but she said following the receipt of Mametja’s response, another council meeting would be called within 72 hours of receipt thereof and a decision would be taken as to her fate and the appropriate course of action to be taken.

A press briefing would be held after the council meeting took place, she said.

According to Chuene no details regarding the reasons for Mametja’s possible suspension could be divulged as this would compromise the legality of the process.

According to information received by Review from a source who did not want to be identified, various charges were levelled at Mametja.

Mametja was in the news some months ago when she was not prosecuted after charges were made about her alleged involvement in possible fraud relating to documentation about the Motor City tender. Some dates were said to have been changed or omitted on the documents.

The National Prosecuting Authority declined to prosecute.

Some controversy was also investigated with regard to her matric certificate, however, this matter was resolved.

In June 2013, news reports linked her to the controversial awarding of four multi-billion rand contracts that were awarded through deviations from the normal supply chain processes, including the R200 million Fleet Management Africa contract, a R14 million cell phone contract and an IT contract. Mametja was appointed as municipal manager in July 2012.