Durban - Just a week before his contract ends, eThekwini municipal manager S’bu Sithole is likely to be removed from his post on Thursday, amid allegations from the DA that his removal was due to him defying an order to give municipal jobs to ANC cadres.
The municipality has called a
special exco meeting on Thursday, where
it is understood the future of the city manager would be decided.
Last week, there was a tense stand-off between Sithole and mayor Zandile Gumede when the latter tried to terminate Sithole’s contract early, citing issues of incompatibility.
Sithole, however, stood his ground, saying Gumede had no powers to fire him.
On Wednesday the DA said it is believed that Sithole’s removal was linked to an alleged ANC communication which called for the deployment of ANC cadres to several eThekwini positions.
But the ANC said the DA’s allegations were “nonsense”.
DA leader Zwakele Mncwango said in a statement that the party believed that Sithole was the victim of “ANC bullying” by those who would stop at nothing to “insert its cadres into government jobs”.
The DA said it had information that ANC regional secretary Bheki Ntuli recently released an internal ANC communication asking branches to submit names of loyal members to get government jobs in eThekwini with a deadline of December 30.
Mncwango told The Mercury that the SMS was sent to him by two senior ANC officials.
The Mercury has seen both the alleged SMSes and a picture of a letter, which is the basis of the SMS,
carrying an ANC letterhead, its regional address and Ntuli’s name and signature.
In response, Ntuli said the alleged communique would have been an internal ANC communication that did not concern the DA.
“He (Mncwango) should stop concerning himself with ANC matters and focus on the DA matters.”
Ntuli said the ANC had never interfered with the municipality, and there was nothing wrong with ANC members applying for posts that had been advertised and with the party telling people about jobs.
The allegations caused a storm on social media, with people questioning whether their difficultly in getting jobs could be due to politicians interfering with the process.
Sithole, who said he was at work on Wednesday, declined to comment on the allegations.
“Everyone knows I have 10 days or less if you count the holidays,” Sithole added.
“The main thing for me is that the
municipality should have an acting city manager and if that meeting
(special exco) resolves that, I would be the happiest person because there will be someone to hand over to,” he said.
In a brief statement, the city said it would revert to the media after Thursday’s council meeting.
The ANC Youth League in eThekwini has also been calling for Sithole’s removal for a while.
Speaking at an event attended by the SABC’s Hlaudi Motsoeneng in Durban on Tuesday, ANCYL eThekwini chairman Thembo Ntuli told the youth they wanted Sithole gone.
“Before the ANC replaced the mayor with Gumede, we said that Sithole must leave, and he must leave immediately,” said Ntuli.
“We don’t have youth structures in the municipality because of him.
“This man does not
listen to the ANC any more, but the ANC is moving slowly in dealing with him.”
Ntuli said they wanted the youth office to be removed from the mayor’s parlour and to be independent.
They wanted to have a deputy city manager, and to have ANCYL national spokesman Mlondi Mkhize appointed to the post.