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eThekwini Municipality
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken the eThekwini Municipality to court in an attempt to reverse the appointment of three senior officials.
The party claims there were irregularities in the appointments, including the new head of Public Safety.
The DA insists the new recruits do not have the necessary qualifications for the posts and the competency assessment was not transparent.
However, the municipality has refuted the claims as a political stunt, saying all due processes were followed in hiring the officials.
The DA accuses the municipality of flouting the law in appointing three senior officials to critical positions.
The party argues that none of the individuals appointed possess the required qualifications for the positions.
Its application for an urgent court interdict and a declaration setting aside the appointments will be heard on December 10.
The DA’s eThekwini mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen, claims this is yet another example of the ruling party’s ignoring due processes and competency assessments.
“The AG also found that the Department of Water and Sanitation failed to meet its performance targets and that there were serious failings in service delivery in that department. Yet the city sees it fit to appoint the very same person, Mr Ednick Msweli, to an even more senior position with a higher salary.”
The former head of Water and Sanitation – Ednick Msweli – is the new Executive Director for Technical Services.
A former municipal employee Bheki Mkhize will head Public Safety, which includes overseeing the Metro Police.
The municipality appointed Lindokuhle Mkhize to the position of Executive Director for Operations Management.
Mayor Cyril Xaba insists all three are qualified for the positions and says due processes were followed in hiring them.
“It is important to note that the positions in question have been vacant for an extended period, and undesirable situation for administrative stability and accountability. We view this action by the DA as yet another attempt to stabilise and, in index, the ability to build adequate capacity to deliver essential services to our residents.”
Meanwhile, the municipality announced its plans to regain the Blue Flag status certification for the city’s beaches.
Since the 2022 floods, the city has struggled to improve the water quality, forcing tourists to seek cleaner beaches elsewhere.
Deputy City Manager Sipho Cele says they are now ready to apply for the certification.
“We are now putting in place plans to ensure that we are ready to put the necessary applications and documentation that will enable us to be considered and evaluated, so that our Blue Flag status, which will enable us to have more beaches added to the list that has international grading.”
The municipality says all 23 bathing beaches in Durban are open to the public for the first time since the 2022 floods after restoring its infrastructure.
However, the DA is not convinced the city’s waters are safe.
The party accuses the city of not being transparent about the safety of the water.
The municipality has vowed to continue monitoring the water quality even after the festive season, as the city renews its quest for Blue Flag status beaches. – Reporting by Zanele Buthelezi
