The matter has brought political over-reach and issuing of illegal instructions by both council and ELM over the years to the fore as a leading cause of corruption and maladministration – officials simply follow instructions regardless of the law. The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC) has questioned ELM Council’s – meaning elected councillors, not officials – commitment to clean administration and anti-corruption and said Leseane’s illegal suspension was evidence of political incompetence and over-reach. “It is simply beyond belief that such arrogance and meddling in administrative matters on an illegal basis can even take place. Democracy and the Rule of Law have simply failed in Emfuleni and the ELM Council. “That Council and councillors acting like sheep on instructions of political seniors can act illegally with apparent impunity to stop anti-corruption efforts shows that they have lost all relevance to the people of Emfuleni,” said GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger. The illegal “suspension” – which ignited much time-wasting politicing, face-saving and legal navel-gazing on what experts knew was simply illegal from the outset – has brought the commitment of ELM Council to fight corruption and maladministration into serious question. Leseane was expected to table a number of reports to Council week-before-last on his corruption-fighting steps but was prevented from submitting them by a Council vote demanding his immediate suspension. The original motion “suspending” Leseane is widely seen as a ploy by ELM Council Speaker Maipato “Chu-Chu Shoes” Tsokolibane and the ANC Chief Whip in Council to prevent submission of reports which expose patronage networks of officials appointed during the time of former acting Municipal Manager Oupa Nkoane and before. Leseane himself could not be reached for comment by the time of publication. Should he decide to take legal action on the basis of the illegal suspension, it will add to an already existing labour relations and labour dispute bill of more than R600 million at ELM. Kritzinger said the GTCoC would welcome Leseane’s return to continue with his work, but said it was “highly disturbing” that illegal instructions or votes by Council were even implemented. Formally, an acting Municipal Manager has even been appointed for a number of days until September 28, according to official correspondence in Vaalweekblad’s possession and in social media.
Municipal Manager returns after unlawful suspension
ELM Municipal Manager Lucky Leseane was expected back at work last week after a spectacular political and administrative “own-goal suspension” by Council which saw his anti-corruption clean-up drive temporarily side-lined.
