Former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Makana Municipality, Danny Sahibdeen, intends to sue Makana municipality over his controversial resignation in July.
Former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Makana Municipality, Danny Sahibdeen, intends to sue Makana municipality over his controversial resignation in July.
Sahibdeen told Grocott’s Mail this week that his legal representative has written a letter to this effect to Municipal Manager Pravine Naidoo.
“My legal team has served the Makana Municipality with a letter last week Tuesday (13 August) indicating my intention to proceed with investigations, as the Council was not advised about my resignation,” said Sahibdeen.
Sahibdeen quit on 15 July but then retracted his resignation 16 days later. He claims he felt pressured to resign by Naidoo after he (Sahibdeen) expressed his concern about his ability to single-handedly submit a qualified audit report by August.
He also believes that Council should have been informed about his resignation and his subsequent withdrawal. This, he says, has not been the case.
“In my opinion, only the Council can accept my resignation, as they collectively agreed on my appointment,” said Sahibdeen. Sahibdeen's resignation was not on the agenda in last week’s ordinary council meeting. Municipal spokesperson Mncedisi Boma confirmed that they had received this correspondence from Sahibdeen's legal team, but said the matter of the chief financial officer was a closed chapter.
“To our understanding this is a completed process. The institution is ready to answer to that. The municipality is already in the recruitment process for a new CFO. Everyone is free to apply, him included,” said Boma.
When asked why Sahibdeen's resignation was not discussed in the Council meeting, Boma said there was no need.
“A voluntary resignation has never been an item (on the Council agenda). What will Council do – note or refuse the resignation?” he said. “We are not asking for miracles or magic. We published an advertisement. We are at the end of the recruitment process and we are waiting for an end product which will be the appointment of a credible, strategic and qualified CFO who will take the municipality out of a disclaimer,” Boma said.
