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A municipal manager believes recommendations for his suspension are a political witch-hunt by people wanting to gain access to the purse of the municipality, while the municipal mayor wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene.
Mluleki Fihlani, municipal manager of Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, has been instrumental in getting the municipality to be one of only two councils in Eastern Cape’s 39 municipalities to get a clean audit.
A letter seen by City Press has emerged in which Fikile Xasa, MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, has written to Ingquza Hill Mayor Pat Mdingi calling for Fihlani to be placed on precautionary suspension.
In the letter, signed off by Xasa on October 29, the MEC uses section 106 (1)(b) of the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 to argue that Fihlani must step aside while investigation into impropriety and irregularities into the affairs of the municipality is ongoing.
Xasa’s spokesperson, Mamkeli Ngam, confirmed the letter was authentic.
“Yes, the letter is authentic, but we will not get into the details of this matter as this is an internal department issue. Therefore we will not comment any further,” said Ngam.
The letter reveals that the municipal manager is accused, among other things, of being implicated in acts of maladministration, financially and on recruitment.
Fihlani has also been accused of refusing to cooperate with the investigation and therefore undermining the authority of the department, and that his continued presence jeopardises the investigation.
“It is thus recommended that, to ensure the integrity of the investigation and an orderly process, Mr Mluleki Fihlani be placed on precautionary suspension pending the finalisation of the investigation,” reads Xasa’s letter in part.
Mandla Nqezo, chairman of the Ingquza Hill Business Chamber, said they welcomed Fihlani’s suspension.
“His suspension follows our petition that he must step down because he gives projects to people outside of Ingquza Hill and does not care about the development of local businesspeople,” he said.
However, Fihlani has hit back saying the MEC is being used to settle political scores following the highly contested provincial conference last year.
He said it was not a secret that himself, mayor Mdingi and Ingquza Hill chief whip Mpofana Tenyane supported Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle to be re-elected as chairperson of Eastern Cape ANC.
“I was part of that faction that wanted the current premier to stay on as chairman of the ANC in the province; I cannot hide that. I was even a branch delegate.”
He said this was a ploy to settle political scores by purging those who differed with them.
“There has not been a single finding against me that points to wrongdoing on the supply chain management. This is a vendetta. They want to make sure that Fihlani and Mdingi are out, and maybe then they would have access to municipal resources so they can do as they please,” Fihlani said.
He said his only sin was to follow supply chain regulations irrespective of who gave instructions to do things contrary to the processes.
This is not the first attempt to remove Fihlani in the past few months alone. In July he was reinstated by the Mthatha High Court after a council meeting placed him on “special leave”.
Last week he said he was ready to fight his removal in court again if need be.
He said he was waiting for the council meeting that would place him on precautionary suspension as per the MEC’s recommendation to take place.
Mayor Mdingi said if Ramaphosa, who campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket prior to the ANC national conference last December, was serious about doing so he must intervene in Ingquza Hill.
He said in the previous matter, where council was instructed to place Fihlani on special leave, he went to court and won the case, and the council had to pay R356 000 in legal fees.
“The situation is bad here in Ingquza Hill. Councillors cannot even convene a council meeting because they are divided.
"This investigation against the municipal manager has caused further divisions in council between those who want him to stay and those that want him gone,” said Mdingi.
“So when are we going to concentrate on elections? Who does not know that the ANC is in a corner right now? I would really like to meet with the president and ask him to intervene.
“I am convinced that we are in this situation because of corruption. These comrades want money. Ingquza Hill is one of the municipalities that have reserves.
“Other municipalities are bankrupt. Comrades know this and they want access to these reserves in Ingquza Hill,” he said.
