The Msunduzi Municipality is struggling to discipline offending workers, as officials are reportedly facing death threats.
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A contractor who had lost his contract with the Msunduzi Municipality threatened and even “barged” into the home of a municipal employee he had blamed for losing the contract. This incident is among the threats faced by municipal workers in the municipality, revealing how proper governance and accountability are being threatened by criminals looking to evade responsibility.
The senior leadership of the Msunduzi Municipality briefed members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on numerous threats directed at the city. It was revealed that these threats have led to municipal staff members refusing to lead investigations or chair disciplinary processes against their colleagues.
The issue arose after it emerged that the municipality has placed staff members accused of wrongdoing in different units. The city revealed that it cannot suspend employees for more than six months. If the disciplinary process has not been completed in six months, the employee is placed in a different unit to avoid the city incurring fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
Chair of the committee, Songezo Zibi, pressed the city on why it took six months to finalise the disciplinary process.
He questioned, “CFO (Nelly Ngcobo), you mentioned people who had been suspended and have been moved to other areas. Have they really been suspended then? How does that work?” He further pressed why it took so long to finalise the case if someone has already been suspended.
“Why is it that six months later, you have not finalised the case?” Ngcobo said, “There are cases, especially in finance, where they are suspended for fraud-related cases, but because of the time it has taken to conclude their case, after six months, it becomes fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
We then bring them back into other departments where they will not be involved in terms of cash.” Ngcobo stated that they do dismiss those who are implicated in wrongdoing, adding that the revenue section of the municipality is faced with an increasing rate of fraud. “We are fast-tracking the internal control unit, and we are trying to prevent this before it happens,” she said.
Municipal manager, Felani Mndebele, elaborated on the problem: “In most cases, those who are doing the investigation get threats; they are being threatened by those they are investigating. They are told they will ‘meet their maker’, and then we have to appoint another person to lead the investigation. We end up using the SALGA panel to assist in terms of investigation procedures and chairing disciplinary proceedings because if we use our own staff, they get threatened by those who have transgressed the law, and that is why sometimes it takes longer.”
An employee detailed to the committee what she endured after a contract of a service provider was cancelled. The contract was cancelled after the awarding was found to be non-compliant and irregular.
“There were a lot of threats directed at us officials that were dealing with the matter; we ended up not being able to go to the office at times, and the threats were very serious; they even entered my own house,” she said. “I was one of the witnesses in the case in terms of the establishment of the case working with the SIU. The threats were concerning the matter and a bit personal, if I can end there,” she stated as she declined to speak further.
Scopa committee member Alan Beesley said, “It is deeply worrying that contractors are threatening municipal staff in Msunduzi. These contractors are nothing more than thugs, and their actions must not be tolerated. Charges must be laid against these contractors, and if necessary, restraining orders should be taken. Furthermore, these contractors should be blacklisted so they can no longer deal with the municipality.”
ACDP councillor Rienus Niemand said the party was taken aback and shocked at the arrogance and lawlessness displayed by some contractors.
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