Durban - Ethekwini city manager S’bu Sithole has demanded that parks, recreation and culture head Thembinkosi Ngcobo explain how and why controversial SABC chief Hlaudi Motsoeneng was recognised as a “city legend” at a glittering function two weeks ago.
The Mercury has it on good authority that Ngcobo was hauled over the coals by Sithole about the matter during a management meeting at the Moses Mabhida Stadium last week.
Two weeks ago Motsoeneng was honoured at the ninth annual Living Legends Awards when a “special recognition award” was conferred on him. This was ostensibly in recognition for his instrumental role in the “introduction of a 90% local-content quota” at the public broadcaster early this year.
Ngcobo shared on Facebook a picture taken at that event, which showed him and Motsoeneng walking side by side down the red carpet, with the words “Walking red carpet with SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng”.
The Mercury understands that Motsoeneng’s recognition took the city management by surprise, and some were less than impressed.
Sithole confirmed on Tuesday that he had since written to Ngcobo and his boss, deputy city manager Dr Musa Gumede, requesting an explanation. He could not comment on questions about his confronting Ngcobo on the matter at the meeting.
“I have written to the team to ask to what transpired because I also want to understand what happened. I wasn’t aware of the special award and that is why I’ve written to the DCM and department head formally,” he said on the sidelines of a council meeting on Tuesday.
He said his view was that when the city wanted to confer “a status” on someone, this must be approved by the council.
Sithole said he intended to review the viability of some events, including the recent Miss eThekwini Municipality beauty pageant, which is believed to have cost ratepayers R1.8 million.
“If we continue with these events, we should have a proper mechanism or policy.”
He said this would ensure the city did not take decisions that were “seen to be out of order”.
“The way I understand the awards is that they recognise people who are from eThekwini making a mark here or elsewhere - but with some attachment with Durban.”
He added he wanted to be in a position where he could explain to the public or his political heads when asked about such matters.
Two officials who were at the meeting at which Sithole gave Ngcobo a dressing down said Sithole was “so upset” that he was not willing to hear Ngcobo’s side of the story when he tried to explain himself.
A livid Sithole, The Mercury understands, even asked if Gumede knew about the award, to which the latter is said to have not responded. “Gumede just kept quiet,” a senior manager who attended the meeting said. The source requested anonymity.
Another senior manager, who was also at the meeting, said Ngcobo was “behaving like this because he has been given free reign”.
“The question is: Who authorised the funding? Even his own bosses don’t know what’s happening. He has been given free reign deluxe. No one knows where it (funding) comes from,” he said.
Ngcobo had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. The city’s communication department said there was “nothing to add”, as Sithole had commented.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said his party would be writing to Sithole demanding an explanation about the whole “fiasco”.
“He needs to explain if he was aware that Motsoeneng would be awarded. If he wasn’t aware, that will obviously mean that officials in the city are doing as they please, and that’s a problem.”
He said Gumede, if he knew about the award, should have told Sithole.
“He (Ngcobo) can’t take such a decision without their knowledge,” said Nkosi.
DA councillor Heinz de Boer said he was not surprised that Sithole had been kept in the dark.
“You know why? Because Thembinkosi behaves like a law unto himself. He should instead be focusing on cutting the overgrown verges. Culture is not the only component of his department,” De Boer said.
He added that the department had “more pressing issues it needed to attend to than lavish events” it had hosted recently.
@Sihle_MG
The Mercury