Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart says she's looking forward to seeing the former chief financial officer standing on top of the Cathedral for seven days and apologising to her, as Makana's top brass do their best to keep the lid on the city's embarrassing secrets.
Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart says she's looking forward to seeing the former chief financial officer standing on top of the Cathedral for seven days and apologising to her, as Makana's top brass do their best to keep the lid on the city's embarrassing secrets.
Baart, who is herself serving a 90-day precautionary suspension following misconduct allegations, told Grocott's Mail yesterday that she felt vindicated by Jackson Ngcelwane's dismissal this week.
Makana Mayor Zamuxolo Peter confirmed this week that Ngcelwane was dismissed this week, mere hours before his contract expired. According to a charge sheet, a copy of which is in the possession of Grocott's Mail, the municipality's former chief financial officer was found guilty on two of the nine charges of financial misconduct.
Several charges were subsequently abandoned by the employer according to the charge sheet. The case was finalised [last]Thursday and on Friday there was a special council meeting where it was tabled that he is dismissed, and unfortunately his contract was also ending, the mayor told Grocott's Mail this week.
He said Ngcelwane had been on suspension since last year and that his duties were being carried out by an acting chief financial officer. "We have already advertised the position of CFO and [the application date]is closed already. Next week the panel should be starting with the short-listing of candidates," he said.
Peter said he would not divulge more information about the case, because they were planning to make an announcement after the Festival.
But Baart, at whose behest Ngcelwane was suspended, told Grocott's Mail this week: “I feel vindicated in a certain way, because some of the charges that I charged the CFO are the same charges against me. I'm interested to see how the council deals with my case. I am also waiting for the CFO to apologise to me, because he said he would stand on top of the Cathedral for seven days and apologise to me. So that could be a spectacular event, especially during the Festival.”
In the midst of Grahamstown's biggest event of the year, the National Arts Festival, the mayor has hastened to provide reassurance. “The community needn't worry," Peter said.
"Even though there were these issues, we are continuing with work, as normal budgets are being passed and people are doing their jobs.”
Ngcelwane has questioned the process and timing of his dismissal. "I was given my dismissal letter on Sunday, long after my contract with Makana ended, which I find very strange," Ngcelwane told Grocott's Mail this week.
"Everything was rushed. When I’m reading the whole matter, they called a special council meeting and sent the agenda five minutes before the meeting started, By law, councillors must be given 48 hours to study the agenda in the case of a special council meeting. This one was rushed."
Baart suspended Ngcelwane a year ago. He continued to receive a full salary while disciplinary processes ran their course. Ngcelwane faced charges of financial misconduct, ranging from irregular expenditure and unauthorised expenditure to gross negligence.
The hearing was held at the municipality last Friday and was presided over by Mandisi Mrwebi, from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). Ngcelwane sounded relaxed and unfazed when this reporter spoke to him.
"I was found guilty on two of the nine charges against me and those two charges are contestable," Ngcelwane said yesterday. "I spent 13 months at home. Within the period of 13 months there was no substantial evidence and no documentation from the employer which proved any of the other charges against me and they were withdrawn."
Mrwebi said in his findings: “In the circumstances, it is recommended that the employee be summarily dismissed. The employee is advised of his rights to appeal this sanction…” Ngcelwane said. “Surely this is not a case that can be left just like that. There are options to take if further.”
He said he believed the municipality could have saved a lot of taxpayers' money if the case had not taken so long. Democratic Alliance leader in Makana, Les Reynolds, said the party found nothing amiss in the way Ngcelwane's case had been handled.
The case took its proper course legally, and he was found guilty, and that must stand, Reynolds said. Peter described as unfortunate the way people behaved in the workplace. “We have put all systems in place on how to operate, Peter said. People still make these kinds of mistakes. We will improve where we lack in terms of systems, but if a person continues to make the same mistake we will have to put them in line," Peter said.
