Jongisizwe Gomomo was introduced as the new administrator in Makana Municipality in a confidential special council meeting at the City Hall on Monday 3 August.
Jongisizwe Gomomo was introduced as the new administrator in Makana Municipality in a confidential special council meeting at the City Hall on Monday 3 August.
Gomomo who is from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) was due to be introduced as administrator and acting Municipal Manger (MM) last week.
But in last Friday's meeting, Council disputed his acting municipal manager status, saying they expected Gomomo only to be introduced as an administrator.
Gomomo succeeds Pam Yako, whose nine-month term as administrator ended last month.
Officials who came to Grahamstown for Gomomo's introduction on Monday included Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa, office of the premier portfolio committee chairman Sicelo Gqobana, Cogta head of department Bea Hackula and officials from Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
The letter Xasa read at Gomomo's introduction, addressed tot he new administrator, said he had no specified term.
"It gives me great pleasure to inform you that due to operational requirements you are being seconded to Makana Municipality as an administrator for a period that cannot be specified for now or until such time that the Executive Council (Exco)assesses the state of the municipality and decides on the termination of the intervention," read Xasa.
The letter states that Gomomo as a representative of Exco is obliged to ensure a successful intervention.
He will also be fully accountable to the provincial executive.
Xasa also revealed in the letter that as an administrator Gomomo could not also act as an MM. "It is specifically recorded that as an administrator you will not be expected to assume duties of municipal manager.
"However, as an administrator you are given the powers to appoint an acting municipal manager. "As as an administrator you will facilitate the immediate appointment of a permanent municipal manager," said Xasa in the letter to Gomomo.
Other duties that have been given to Gomomo are to facilitate the finalisation of dozens of pending court cases and litigations against the municipality.
He has also been tasked with implementing the recommendations of the previous administrator.
The department will pay Gomomo's travel and accommodation costs. Makana spokesperson Yoliswa Ramokolo in a media statement this week confirmed the arrival of the new administrator.
"As the Section 139 (1) (b) intervention is still continuing, the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Honourable Fikile Xasa came personally to Makana Local Municipality to introduce and clarify the secondment of the new Administrator Mr Jongisizwe Gomomo subsequent to the end of Ms Pam Yako’s contract on 22 July 2015.
"As it was previously announced in the last Special Council meeting held on 30 July 2015, Mr Gomomo will be seconded as the Administrator… the MEC made it clear that Mr Gomomo will only be working as an Administrator not as an Acting Municipal Manager as previously announced.
"The Administrator will be working on a full-time basis. Riana Meiring will continue in the meantime as an Acting Municipal Manager," said Ramokolo.
Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance on Tuesday issued a statement saying the municipality desperately needed a new government with a bold vision.
MP for the party's Frontier constituency Andrew Whitfield said the announcement of Gomomo as new administrator for Makana Municipality is neither bold nor new.
"The former administrator, Pam Yako, recently walked away from her R3 million intervention after nine months with no meaningful results to show for it.
"Now the MEC has appointed another administrator to continue in her place," said Whitfield. He said Xasa is reluctant to show bold leadership in Makana.
Whitfield claimed that the next logical procedural step is the "politically inconvenient" dissolution of the Council. ANC Regional Secretary Scara Njadayi said the party fully supported the introduction of Gomomo.
He said since the municipality was placed under administration there had been a difference. "There are no more problems of municipal employees whose medical aids and insurance funds are not paid," Njadayi said.
"Currently we are looking at how political intervention can stabilise the council," said Njadayi.
He said it was the opposition parties who had asked for the implementation of Section 139 (1) (b).
Njadayi said the department of local government was correct in implementing a second administration.
"The municipality does not have a municipal manager of chief financial officer and there are court cases to deal with," Njadayi said.
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