GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Monde Stratu, the Garden Route District Municipality's (GRDM) municipal manager, and John Daniels, head of GRDM's roads department, have seven working days to give reasons why they should not be suspended.
This follows allegations of possible misconduct related to the Western Cape Provincial Government's (WCG) Department of Infrastructure's (DoI) Roads Agency function.
In a front page article on 24 April, George Herald reported on an investigation by the Western Cape DoI, which pointed out several possible irregularities in the GRDM's roads department.
These findings were discussed on 22 April during a visit by Tertuis Simmers, Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure.
At the time, Melt Botes, Simmers' spokesperson, said there is prima facie evidence of mismanagement, and that an independent investigation into possible fraud will be conducted.
On Tuesday 6 May, the GRDM council resolved during a confidential meeting to initiate precautionary suspension processes for senior managers. In line with legal prescripts, the managers have been given an opportunity to respond to the WCG DoI's allegations within seven working days.
Asked for comment, both Stratu and Daniels said they had not been present for the discussion of this item at the council meeting on 6 May, and that they are uninformed about the council's resolution.
"Nobody has spoken to me. You are the first person to call me about what happened at the meeting," said Stratu during a telephone conversation with George Herald on Wednesday 7 May. "I hear from you that there is a decision about me, in my own employment space."
Stratu said the first time he had heard about the report from the DoI was in a public meeting with Simmers. "If there is a report, I've never seen it. I have not been given a chance to say anything on any report. I am just as surprised about what you are telling me."
Regarding the seven working days to give reasons why he should not be suspended, Stratu said he does not know how this procedure works. "I've never been suspended in my life."
The council further resolved at the meeting on 6 May that an independent investigator will immediately be appointed to investigate the merits of the allegations.
The manager of the GRDM's road services department, John Daniels.
In response to these events, FF Plus' councillor, Danie Acker, said his party is unhappy with the new way of doing things at GRDM.
"Provincial ministers arrive in the region, make public announcements, insult the municipality, its staff and council and accuse them of incompetence before they have the opportunity to see or respond to these allegations," said Acker. "Then, the public announcements are discussed in closed council meetings, and political instructions are carried out."
Acker said the GRDM has been staggering from one crisis to another since last year, when the DA kicked the FF Plus out of the coalition and removed the party's chairmanship and oversight role.
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