Johannesburg - The controversial managing director of Pikitup, Amanda Nair, has been reinstated after nearly a year of being on suspension on full pay.
The decision was made by a new board of directors, which met for the first time this week.
The former board convened an urgent meeting earlier this month after Nair had been cleared, and rejected the findings of the presiding officer, advocate Piet Pauw. It decided that the matter should be referred to senior counsel and that Nair should remain suspended.
The former board said she could not resume her duties as “there has been an irretrievable breakdown of trust in the relationship between her and the board”.
But the City of Joburg mayoral committee member for environment and infrastructure services, Matshidiso Mfikoe, announced on Tuesday that Nair had been cleared of all allegations of awarding a tender irregularly, and there was no reason not to reinstate her.
Last February, Pikitup’s board of directors decided to take disciplinary action against Nair for her alleged role in awarding a tender worth R263 million.
Nair is alleged to have awarded the three-year Yellow Plant tender to Aqua Transport Plant Hire, a firm implicated in fraud and corruption.
The former Pikitup board took the decision after the National Treasury made damning findings in the awarding of the contract last March. In addition, the Treasury found that the tender was irregular and should be set aside.
Said Mfikoe: “The bidding process for the tender was initiated prior to the appointment of Ms Nair as managing director of Pikitup, and was processed following normal supply chain management procedures.”
The then board, in consultation with the council, took a view that it would best serve the interests of all stakeholders to allow an independent process to determine whether Nair had in any way contravened the Municipal Finance Management Act supply chain management regulations. The board also agreed to abide by the outcome of the process, she explained.
Mfikoe said the finding “coincidentally coincided” with the appointment of a new board, which met on Monday, and agreed unanimously to implement the recommendation of the presiding officer.
Nair will resume her duties tomorrow and does so with the full support of the city and the board, Mfikoe said. The staff would be briefed about Nair’s return and would be asked to co-operate with her.
“It is the end of that chapter. There must be reconciliation between the staff and Ms Nair,” she added.
The Star