DURBAN - THE eThekwini Municipality has appointed Sbu Mkhwanazi as acting head of the Parks, Culture, Sports and Recreation unit.
Mkhwanazi, who was deputy head of the same unit, starts in his new position on Tuesday. He replaces Thembinkosi Ngcobo, who was fired by the municipality two weeks ago.
Mkhwanazi’s appointment was confirmed to the Daily News by Musa Gumede, a deputy city manager responsible for Parks, Culture and Recreation. Gumede, who also oversees the Community and Emergency unit, said Mkhwanazi would act on a rotational basis and would serve in the position for a month. Thereafter, the municipality would appoint another acting head.
“Yes, we can confirm that Mkhwanazi has been appointed to act. He will hold the position for a month but we will not tell you now who will act after him,” said Gumede.
Meanwhile, Ngcobo said he was locked in a meeting with his lawyers on Monday to decide when they would file his appeal against his dismissal in court. He said his lawyers had already advised him to take the dismissal on review.
Ngcobo had been with the municipality for over 20 years as a head of the unit. He was found guilty for failing to report his staff who fraudulently paid R140 000 in 2015 to a businessman who had not conducted work for the municipality.
Ngcobo’s matter was heard by the SA Local Government Bargaining Council in April and last month. He was found guilty of misconduct. The council found that he failed to do oversight by not reporting the transaction although the businessman had informed him that he did not do a job for the municipality.
The money was for the service provider who had supplied a sound system, marquee and other related services for a beach festival event in 2015. Instead of paying the service provider, Ngcobo’s staff, according to the council findings, called the businessman and asked him to submit his invoice and eventually paid him.
In the award, which the Daily News has seen, the municipality said the businessman informed Ngcobo about the illegal payment but Ngcobo did not report it to the relevant authorities.
“I’m taking the matter to court. I found it strange that the municipality did not see the need to criminally charge the two staff in my department and went for me instead. If the municipality leadership was serious about fighting corruption, it would have taken the two staff to task and held them accountable together with me, but there were no consequences for people who actually committed fraud,” said Ngcobo.
He added that the staff who had actually committed crime had resigned. One was appointed as a member of the legislature in 2019.
Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said Ngcobo had a right to go to court.
On the two implicated staffers, Mayisela said that as the matter was headed to court he would no longer be able to go into the merits of the case.
Daily News