Ermelo - The new municipal manager of Ermelo's Msukaligwa Local Municipality in Mpumalanga, whose sudden departure from the troubled Mkhondo Local Municipality raised eyebrows, has explained why he left his previous job.
Maqhawe Kunene, the new municipal manager for people living in Ermelo, denies that he left his previous job under a cloud.
Instead, he says he left the previous role as he felt the mayor wanted to appoint their own municipal manager.
His appointment in Ermelo has raised eyebrows within the business community, who feel that he is not the right person for the critical job.
Some feel that he has not adequately cleared his name after mayor of Mkhondo, Mthokozisi Simelane embarked on a clean-up campaign by demanding accountability from officials.
At the time, Simelane demanded to know the state of Mkhondo’s finances, tender issues and why the Eskom bill was not up to date when most residents paid in advance.
Kunene grabbed local headlines when he opted to leave instead providing an explanation about tenders worth R260m paid for by the municipality along the South Africa-Eswatini borderline.
Early this week IOL was informed that Kunene was now the municipal manager of Msukaligwa, which is facing similar service delivery challenges to Mkhondo and his appointment was also met with murmurs by staff.
Kunene was asked to explain whether he declared to his new employer how he left his previous employer.
“The executive mayor had requested information which included information of an administrative nature.
“He was still new in office at the time so he indicated that he wanted to get up to speed with processes relating to service delivery in the municipality.
“I furnished him with everything that was at my disposal, control and possession at the time, but there was information that was still in the possession of the auditors from the auditor-general which I indicated to him that I could not furnish for that reason,” Kunene said.
Kunene alleged that Simelane claimed that he was sabotaging him as the new mayor, hence they had a fallout.
“The mayor thereafter alleged that I was sabotaging him and suspended me. That was, of course, not true.
“I understood very well that my mandate is towards the municipality and the people it serves rather than political parties. I would have given him all the information if I had all the information.
“I also realised that I was probably not his preferred municipal manager and that he was not comfortable with working with me because I joined the municipality at the time when there was a different political leadership. So I elected to leave the municipality after having discussions with him and we agreed that we part ways amicably. There is therefore no cloud hanging over me,” Kunene explained.
IOL afforded Simelane an opportunity to respond and he did not dispute the claims by Kunene.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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