The eThekwini mayor, Zandile Gumede, has promised to spill the beans on the real reasons behind the mass exodus of senior officials from the city.
Gumede told members of the city’s executive committee (Exco) yesterday that on Monday she would set the record straight on the resignations that have rocked the city in recent months, saying some of these were as a result of the city clamping down on corruption and rooting out lazy and incompetent elements.
“If you are not prepared to work with us, you better go wherever you want to go. Here we fight corruption tooth and nail,” she told the meeting, without mentioning any names.
According to a WhatsApp message circulated in the municipality, about 12 senior officials had either been fired, reassigned, suspended or have resigned from their jobs over the past seven months.
“Nine more senior officials are still being pursued. So expect more resignations and suspensions in a short while,” read the message.
Referring to these messages, Gumede warned Exco members about “fake news” aimed at destabilising the city.
She said there were people who are circulating WhatsApp messages and “thinking like devils”.
Gumede also had a piece of advice for the opposition: “Stop acting like you are workers’ unions.”
The main opposition parties, the DA and the IFP, have been vocal on some of the resignations in the city, claiming that some officials seen to be aligned to former mayor James Nxumalo were being victimised and forced to jump ship.
The most recent resignation was that of Phillip Ntsimane, the head of eThekwini’s internal audit. He is taking up a position at the City of Tshwane, but could not be reached for comment.
Sandile Maphumulo, the suspended head of electricity, refused to comment. He refused to say whether he was still employed at the municipality.
However, Gumede denied there was a purge. “We are not in the business of purging, we are in the business of service delivery.”
“We will have Exco on Monday and after that we will have a press conference so that the entire world will know what is happening in the city,” she said.
Taking another swipe at opposition parties, Gumede said those who had been defending some of the officials were about to be disappointed.
“You have been thinking you are a hero when you are a zero,” she said, adding that the city was no place for corrupt, lazy and incompetent officials, irrespective of party loyalty. “Those who are resigning knowing what they have done, I am ready for them. Don’t do things that will haunt you at the end of the day. We said we would deal with corruption (and) we are going to deal with corruption.”
She singled out Dr Musa Gumede for praise, saying the deputy city manager for Community and Emergency Services did not have a cloud hanging over his head.
Gumede has resigned from the city to take up a position at the provincial Department of Health.
“I am very proud of you. I have never smelt a rat (where Musa is concerned). I do not remember a time when Musa spoke to me anyhow even when I was chairperson of the committee,” said Gumede
Monday’s special meeting has been convened to deal with staffing issues at the municipality.
DA caucus leader Zwakele Mncwango said the municipality had collapsed under Gumede’s watch.
“She is just being emotional and there will be nothing that will come on Monday. She will try to defend herself and the ANC. If she is now talking about cleaning the rot, why did she not act when she was chairperson of the Community and Emergency Services and when she was a member of Exco in the previous administration? The metro police collapsed under her watch.”
Questions were sent to the city’s communications department regarding the status of the 12 officials mentioned in the message and how their departure or suspension had affected the running of the various units. No response had been received at the time of writing.
Messages were sent to metro police head Eugene Nzama and Thembinkosi Ngcobo. No response had been received at the time of publication.