Tensions are rising among Makana councillors as the Council comes under urgent pressure to recruit suitable candidates to fill vacant management positions.
Tensions are rising among Makana councillors as the Council comes under urgent pressure to recruit suitable candidates to fill vacant management positions. Called to account for the still vacant senior leadership positions – some of which have been unoccupied for nearly five months, the mood in a special council meeting held in the Council Chamber on Wednesday was one of anger and frustration.
The municipality is still struggling to find a technical director, director of corporate services and chief financial officer. “We need leadership in this municipality as soon as possible,” said DA Councillor Les Reynolds, at the meeting. “We are the servants of the public and we can’t carry on without captains of the ship… we know the situation that we are in and we need to do something as soon as possible.”
Reynolds criticised Mayor Zamuxolo Peter for not responding urgently to the matter, saying his written and verbal responses were “not good enough”. Reynolds further expressed his disappointment that question of the vacant posts issue had not been put into the meeting’s agenda and that a detailed report on the status of the senior posts had not been made available to the councillors.
“I would like to see a proper report; I don’t want to hear a brief verbal report from the mayor …I must express my disappointment in the fact that you did not put it upon yourself to put that item on the agenda,” Reynolds said. The mayor responded by highlighting that there was a series of technical procedures that had to be adhered to when appointing people to posts of this level and that it entailed a lengthy administrative process.
Municipal manager Ntombi Baart said the security clearance required for the candidates had not been made available. Council speaker Rachel Madinda assured Council that a detailed report on the status of the vacant senior posts would be made available soon and that a special council meeting would be scheduled for that item.
