Local Municipal Manager, Ntombi Baart, has again lashed out at Mayor Vumile Lwana for what she alleges amounts to interference in her managerial decisions, especially with regards to staff disciplinary action.
Local Municipal Manager, Ntombi Baart, has again lashed out at Mayor Vumile Lwana for what she alleges amounts to interference in her managerial decisions, especially with regards to staff disciplinary action.
At a media briefing in February, when she outlined a turnaround strategy for the municipality, following its roasting by the auditor-general, Baart said political interference was hindering effective administration.
"When you discipline your directors, you don't get political support. Instead, you get the sense you're being questioned by the political leadership," Baart was quoted saying ("Baart aims to get municipality back on track", Grocott's Mail, 25 February 2011).
Now she's said it again. Addressing a meeting of the Grahamstown Residents' Association on the local municipality's achievements and challenges, Baart described such behaviour as discouraging. "Especially when you feel that when you take disciplinary action against your senior management, you do not necessarily receive support, but [are instead]rebuked and lambasted and shouted at," she said.
"All those kind of things discourage me. It sends a bad message throughout the institution, because I cannot instil discipline," she said.
She added that junior officials went behind her back and complained to Lwana when they had been disciplined by her. "It's easy for a junior official to go and complain to the executive mayor… then it just sends another kind of message, so it's difficult in that kind of environment to instil discipline," said Baart.
However the mayor, when asked to comment, said, "I have never intervened in disciplinary action with any employees." Lwana said the only time he became involved was in his oversight role, as a councillor, when Baart tabled reports in council meetings. Lwana said, "It is completely out of order. These are strong allegations." He demanded evidence to support Baart's claims.
