Cape Town - An executive director with the City of Cape Town has resigned under what some officials claim is a “cloud”, allegedly after she was refused permission to do private work for the Rand Water Board in Gauteng.
She was appointed non-executive chair of Rand Water, Africa’s largest water utility, last June.
Acting city mayor Ian Neilson confirmed this week that advocate Tshidi Mayimele-Hashatse, the city’s executive director of corporate services, had tendered her resignation on December 31 for “personal reasons”.
Although Mayimele-Hashatse had indicated she would serve two months’ notice until February 28, mayor Patricia de Lille decided to waive the notice, so that Mayimele-Hashatse has already left, said Neilson.
Mayimele-Hashatse renewed her performance agreement as per her service contract with the city last June – the same month she took on the non-executive chair of Rand Water.
Section 57 employees are required to renew their performance agreements annually.
Mayimele-Hashatse has been an independent non-executive member of the Rand Water board since 2009 and part of the City of Cape Town’s management team since 2013.
Neilson said she had permission to serve as a non-executive director on the board, but her subsequent application to serve as board chairwoman from June last year was turned down by the full council “in view of the added demands and responsibilitiesdemands and responsibilities attached to such a role”.
Section 57 employees need to get permission from the full council to serve on other boards.
Rand Water’s Integrated Annual Report for 2013-2014 refers to Mayimele-Hashatse’s position as the executive director of corporate services. Her responsibilities are listed as management of the metro’s human resources department, employment equity department, occupational health and safety, employee wellness, information systems and technology and customer relations.
Mayimele-Hashatse has more than 12 years experience as a non-executive director for various companies and institutions. And she had a five-year contract with the city until June 2018.
During the 2013-2014 financial year, Mayimele-Hashatse attended eight of 22 board meetings at Rand Water’s headquarters in Glenvista, Gauteng.
Her remuneration as a non-executive board member for this period was R192 000. Her total annual package at the city council would have been at least R1.3 million.
Neilson said the city had a private work policy which allowed staff to do outside work under certain circumstances. The executive director would have had to apply for leave or unpaid leave to attend board meetings.
According to the code of conduct for the Public Service Commission, an employee may not “without approval” do remunerative work outside his or her official duties.
“Employees are expected to place their undivided attention, time and skills at the disposal of the public service as employer. The nature and demands of the job in the public service are such that the interests of both the public service and the community may be prejudiced by a public servant undertaking remunerative work outside official duties.”
Last September and October, Mayimele-Hashatse was widely quoted in various media reports speaking about water supply shortages in Gauteng, and talk among council officials is that Mayimele-Hashatse was hauled over the coals after being spotted speaking on television on behalf of Rand Water when she was supposed to be on sick leave.
Neilson has denied that there was any irregularity in Mayimele-Hashatse’s performance. He described her as a “former employee who added much value in her time at the City of Cape Town”.
Mayimele-Hashatse could not be reached for comment at Rand Water on Tuesday, but the media office has indicated it would respond to questions on Wednesday.
Neilson said a new executive director had yet to be appointed, but an acting arrangement was in place to ensure the functioning of the directorate.
Cape Argus