Durban — Another ANC-led municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is in hot water for paying a ward councillor while he’s sitting at home.
The Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality in Ixopo, in the south west of the province, has been paying ward 4 councillor Themba Mahlaba a full salary since October.
He was barred from attending council or doing work for ward 4 residents after he was charged by the ANC for defying its instruction to resign as the councillor.
According to information obtained by the Daily News, Mahlaba was instructed by the ANC in the province to resign because he was also working at the premier’s office at the time and became a councillor in 2021. He defied the party directive and was hauled before its disciplinary committee, which reportedly was recently finalised and awaits a decision.
IFP Harry Gwala regional leader Mlindeli Ngcamo said his party was concerned about the plight of ward residents who had been without a councillor for months while, on the other hand, continuing to pay for his salary as taxpayers.
Ngcamo said he did not believe that Mahlaba’s sin was doing another job since there are three councillors in the same municipality who are doing government jobs as teachers.
A source within the municipality said Mahlaba was being purged for not supporting the faction that controls the region, adding that Mahlaba had challenged the faction that won the regional conference, which took place in April last year in Kokstad.
“If the issue was that he was drawing two salaries from the same government, why is the party silent on the three councillors who are teachers? How do they service their ward residents while at schools busy working? This is purging,” said the source.
The source said Mahlaba followed all the due processes by alerting his employer after he was nominated, then took leave as is required when a person has been nominated. Furthermore, the source said after he won the ward, Mahlaba again informed his employer (premier’s office) and asked for permission to continue as a councillor on a part-time basis.
Les Stuta, who was in Mhlaba’s faction during the conference, said what was happening to him (Mahlaba) was painful because it was clear that he was being purged for contesting the deputy secretary position against the side that won. Stuta contested the secretary position in that conference alongside Mahlaba, but both lost.
The ANC defended its decision to charge Mahlaba for defying its instruction to resign. The party provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said the councillor was told that he would not be able to do both jobs and therefore chose to continue for the premier’s office and the ANC subsequently asked him to resign, which he defied. He said there was no policy stopping teachers from being councillors, while the premier’s office policy forbids one to do two jobs.
Mndebele said it was a normal process that if a member of the party failed to carry out an instruction by the party, he would be hauled to a disciplinary hearing, adding that since the disciplinary committee acted as an independent body, he would not comment on its proceedings until they finalise its work and bring the report to the party. On continuing to pay for the councillor, Mndebele said it was normal that if a worker had been fired and was challenging the decision, he was still regarded as a worker, and therefore, he must be paid.
Mahlaba refused to be drawn into the matter but confirmed that he was not doing his work as ward 4 councillor but was still getting paid. He left the premier’s office in September.
The IFP in the legislature has also weighed in on the issue, calling on ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo to provide answers.
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Daily News