By Anna Majavu
The Makana Municipality has suspended its Director of Engineering and Infrastructural Services, Asanda Gidana, following several allegations of misconduct, including one allegation that R2.964 million was paid for a water pump for the Howieson’s Poort Dam pump station that was never delivered. In a press statement on 21 June, the municipality said Gidana would be suspended for not longer than three months.
Grocott’s Mail reported last week that a confidential Council meeting on 5 June discussed the municipality’s intent to suspend Gidana over the pump, which should never have been paid for before delivery and installation. Despite the pump still being missing, the municipality says that by 30 June, it will be able to supply the town with enough water for the taps to be turned on every day, not every second day.
Meanwhile, the municipality rebuffed this week’s sharp condemnation from the biggest opposition parties in the council, the Makana Citizens Front (MCF) and the DA. On 19 June, the MCF gave the municipality six months to end water outages and sewage spills or face mass action and possible shutdowns of Makhanda. And at a Special Council meeting on 20 June, the DA tried to bring a motion of no confidence in Mayor Yandiswa Vara, for failing to show leadership during the water crisis.
The motion, brought by DA councillor and caucus leader Luvuyo Sizani, was defeated by 13 votes (from the ANC) to four (from the DA) with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Makana Citizens Front (MCF) abstaining. The MCF had already announced two days before the vote that it would not support the DA on the grounds that removing the Mayor would not “magically conjure up new machinery that will address all the intractable failures of this municipality”.
ANC councillor Andile Hoyi described the motion of no confidence as “opportunistic”, and said it “lacked substance”. He said several recent “stakeholder engagement” meetings convened by Makana Municipality Speaker Mthuthuzeli Matyumza showed that the municipality was interacting with residents.
The municipality also announced on 21 June that they had appointed TMS Consulting Engineers to oversee a revamp of some of the busiest roads used by taxis in Makhanda: Ncame Street, and Makana Way.
Vara also announced a reshuffle of the Mayoral Committee: ANC councillor Ramie Xonxa remains the Portfolio Chairperson of the Corporate and Shared Services, ANC councillor Mzobanzi Nkwentsha moves from Local Economic Development and Planning to Public Safety and Social Services, and ANC councillor Thandolwethu Vayo moves to Engineering and Infrastructure Services from Public Safety and Community Services. ANC Councillor Gcobisa Mene, who, as political head of the Engineering and Infrastructural Services has taken much of the flak over service delivery collapses in the town has been shifted to head the Finance Portfolio Committee, while the former Finance committee head, ANC councillor Andile Hoyi, will now lead the Local Economic Development and Planning Portfolio Committee.
