Suspended Bitou municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo is said to have been hired to head an Eastern Cape municipality.
Nqogo was suspended after being found guilty on four charges of misconduct. The charges related to a land deal where the provincial department of human settlements granted the southern Cape town R28 million for a transaction. An independent valuation later put the value of the land at R2.4m. He faced seven charges.
Bitou was previously run by the ANC. After last year’s local government elections, a DA-Cope coalition controlled the municipality.
On Monday, the DA slammed the decision to appoint Ngoqo as the municipal manager of the Sundays River Valley.
Siphokazi Nonyukela, spokeswoman for the Sundays River Valley municipality, was not available to confirm the appointment. Ngoqo said he had not yet been appointed and would not comment further. He referred queries to his lawyer, Harvey Mills, who could not be contacted.
DA MP James Lorimer released a statement on Monday saying Ngoqo had been found guilty of financial irregularity.
He said while the new appointment was not in contravention of the Municipal Systems Amendment Act, it was “inexcusable negligence at best” and an appointment would “give rise to speculation that he is just another ANC cadre being given a job because of his political connections”.
The appointment sent out the message that officials who were found guilty of misconduct could continue their careers in other areas. “It violates the spirit of attempts to stop failed municipal officials from being reappointed in other municipalities.”
The DA on Monday posted correspondence between Ngoqo and the Sundays River Valley municipality online, showing that Ngoqo’s contract starts tomorrow. In the correspondence, Ngoqo asked that his salary offer be increased from R850 000 to R950 000. It further states that his current annual salary is R1.1 million.
The party said it had written to Eastern Cape MEC for Local Government Mlibo Qoboshiyane urging him to reverse the appointment.
Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, Qoboshiyane’s spokesman, confirmed that the MEC’s office had received the letter.
He said the office could only take action once the appointment was sent to him for “concurrence”. The Sundays River Valley would have to send the office confirmation.
“The MEC will look into it thoroughly to ensure that those appointed meet the standards of good governance. All issues raised will form part of this and the MEC will liaise with the municipality.”
Songezo Mjongile, the provincial secretary of the ANC, said the party was not aware of the appointment. He said Ngoqo was removed to make way so the DA could hire their “lackeys”.
Ngoqo still “enjoyed” the ANC’s confidence.
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