Johannesburg - The Merafong City Local Municipality in Carletonville forks out R1 million for each of its two consultants while having permanent staff doing the same job.
Now the full council has asked mayor Maphefo Mogale-Letsie to investigate the appointment of two consultants, Johan Coetzee and Nomthandazo Moyo.
The two were appointed by the then acting municipal manager, George Seitisho, last year. He said that the appointments were in accordance with a council resolution taken on June 21, 2001.
Seitisho was not the municipal manager when the resolution was taken.
He was only appointed in September 2012 and formally began his job that November.
Hardly three months in office, Seitisho appointed Coetzee - his former colleague from Bitou Municipality in the Western Cape - to “assist to restructure the supply chain management unit of the municipality”.
Seitisho had worked as municipal manager of Bitou while Coetzee was acting municipal finance manager in 2010. They both left the municipality under a cloud.
In the agreement, Coetzee was contracted to work for 12 months starting in February last year.
“It is specifically recorded that there is no expectation that this agreement will be renewed or extended beyond the term,” the agreement read.
Detailing the fees in relation to services rendered, the municipality agreed to pay Coetzee an all-inclusive amount of R500 an hour but the total monthly hours billed were not to exceed 167 per billing period.
The actual amount added up to just over R1m for the year.
Moyo’s appointment also began in February last year and the terms were the same as Coetzee’s, including the remuneration.
While these appointments took place, the municipality had Julia Tsebe as full-time manager of supply chain management. Staff members reported to her.
However, Tsebe, according to insiders, was virtually sidelined after the arrival of Coetzee and Moyo.
The pair, according to evidence seen by The Star, immediately took over the appointment of contractors to do jobs for the Merafong municipality.
Normal tender procedures were not followed to appoint at least 21 of those companies.
Seitisho justified his appointments by saying that Tsebe and head of IT Sonnyboy Segone could not do their jobs properly, therefore forcing him to rope in the consultants.
However, both Tsebe and Segone remain on the municipal payroll, and continue to receive their perks and benefits.
Asked why he did not take disciplinary action against them, Seitisho said he had been asked to do so by councillors but he opted not to.
Coetzee and Moyo also remain on the municipal payroll despite their contracts ending in February this year.
The Star