By Sihle Mavuso
Wide-ranging rot in the Mtubatuba local municipality has been alleged in a report compiled by the municipality’s former administrator.
The report was completed in February this year by Dr Siya Ntuli, Mtubatuba’s former administrator. He was sacked last month when the new MEC for Cogta initiated sweeping changes in troubled municipalities under administration.
Titled “Report on Employee Related Cost Assessment”, Ntuli found that some senior employees lacked the qualifications to occupy their positions.
He also found that some employees won their jobs through blatant nepotism.
“Upon review of the senior managers minimum competency requirements, it was noted that only four of seven senior managers are qualified (in terms of their qualifications being specific qualifications for the posts they are occupying).
“The qualifications of the other three senior managers are not specifically what is required by the post as per competency requirements and the regulations,” the report noted.
Ntuli found senior managers were claiming car allowances, but had not bought new cars – a condition of the allowance.
“The primary purpose of this allowance is for the employee to perform their duties better so if they don’t buy cars after [being] given the allowance it means that there was no need for them to have this allowance,” reads part of the report.
Ntuli revealed that after an investigation, the manpower in the firefighting department was increased. The idea was that they would work shifts and save the municipality from paying exorbitant overtime.
Instead, although more firefighters were added, the overtime bill for the troubled municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal continued to skyrocket.
The report also recorded that the process of hiring 74 municipality security guards was neither free nor fair.
Municipal manager Thami Xulu did not respond when Scrolla.Africa asked him about the report.
Pictured above: A report reveals the rot in Mtubatuba’s local government.
Source: Sihle Mavuso
