Confusion as divided council reinstates axed manager

Confusion reigns at Mamusa local municipality, home of Schweizer-Reneke, in North West, after the acting municipal manager was fired after the municipality's divided council reinstated the municipal manager he had replaced.

- Eric Mthobeli Naki

The situation came to a head when workers and councillors had not received their salaries since 25 February because the municipality ran out of cash.

The workers and the affected councillors blamed the acting manager, Frans Mabokela, for the nonpayment.

Mabokela was seconded to the municipality by the provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs after then-municipal manager Rancho Gincane was dismissed in August last year.

Gincane was first placed on special leave on 24 February last year by the council and subsequently dismissed, but he challenged his removal in court.

A council meeting on 18 February resolved to reinstate him and fire Mabokela.

In a statement he claimed to have issued on behalf of the council, speaker Gotsilekgosi Batsi denied that Gincane had been reinstated.

Batsi said that there was no resolution rescinding the decision to remove Gincane, or to reinstate him.