Former chief of staff Marietha Aucamp has been found to have misrepresented her qualifications by stating that she has a B-Tech degree on a competency assessment form that she submitted, a report has revealed.
The report vindicated executive mayor Solly Msimanga, who had vowed to call it quits should the probe into Aucamp's appointment find him guilty of any transgression.
Municipal manager Dr Moeketsi Mosola, who released a five-week report at Tshwane House, said the it exonerated the mayor from any impropriety.
Mosola instituted the investigation in the wake of the media reports that Aucamp did not possess the requisite qualifications for the position of the chief of staff.
Aucamp, who has since resigned, was employed in the office of the mayor in Novembver 2016 with an annual salary package of R1.2 million.
The probe into allegations that she faked her qualifications was carried out by the City's Independent Chief Audit Executive.
Municipal manager Dr Moeketsi Mosola and mayor Solly Msimanga brief the media about the outcome of an investigation into allegations that former chief of staff Marieta Aucamp was illegally employed. Video: Rapula Moatshe
The report revealed that three officials from the human resources department were in the wrong by appointing Aucamp.
Mosola said part of the report recommended that the city manager should subject officials to a disciplinary process, which would lead to consequence management.
"I have already instructed the city governance and support officer and our legal department to begin the process," he said.
The report further recommended that the City should institute a range of preventative actions to ensure that its human resource policies and procedures are adhered to and to ensure that instances such as this one do not recur in the future.
Mosola said the report was phase one of a comprehensive investigation with regards to the issue of academic qualifications of senior officials in all city political offices.
"Phase One is only relating to the findings and recommendations relating only to the former chief of staff. The findings and recommedations of Phase 2 will be released at a later stage," he said.
The investigation report indicated that 17 applicants applied for the position of chief of staff. Of the 17 applicants only two applicants did not meet the academic requirement, among them was Aucamp.
"Examination of the recruitment file obtained that there was no shortlisting report, and scoping matrix report. The said report had apparently been removed from the file. It was during the shortlisting meeting that a decision to consider Aucamp was taken, despite the qualification gap," said Mosola.
When Aucamp was appointed chief of staff with effect from November 2016, she was already acting in the post from September 1, 2016.