Lichaba's case done and dusted

GEORGE NEWS - Three charges of misconduct against ANC Councillor Clodia Lichaba were dropped last week at a special council meeting of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM).

This is contrary to the recommendations made by a disciplinary committee to fine her with R15 000 for breaching the code of conduct for councillors.

In council last week, the disciplinary committee's findings were overturned and Lichaba found not guilty on all charges.

She initially faced nine charges, including gross dishonesty, sowing discord and bringing the municipality's name into disrepute. This followed after Lichaba wrote to the speaker, Georlene Wolmarans, the Commission for Gender Equality and Western Cape Minister of Local Government Anton Bredell, and also applied for a protection order at the Magistrate's Court in Mossel Bay regarding being allegedly victimised at work by the Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, and the then mayor, Memory Booysen. This application was eventually withdrawn.

Lichaba's letters

In the agenda of last week's special council meeting the reasons for her conduct, as stated in her letters and affidavit, are as follows: Lichaba alleges that Stratu harassed and victimised her on 2 December 2022 when she was doing oversight during a joint meeting of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) and the Audit and Performance Audit Committee.

She felt the chairperson failed to protect her when she criticised the conduct. Thereafter she did not feel safe around Stratu and did not want to go to meetings where he was present. She complained that she reported the matter to the office of the speaker, to no avail.

Monde Stratu

Another alleged incident has upset Lichaba.

During the continuation of a council meeting on 7 November 2022, Booysen allegedly presented reasons why Lichaba should not be a member of the MPAC. Lichaba felt that these reasons were discriminatory.

She also alleged that her letters to the mayor following the alleged improper conduct of the municipal manager were shared with other councillors without her consent.

Lichaba stated these two alleged incidents as the reason why she felt violated, harassed, abused and unsafe in the workplace.

Memory Booysen Photo: Michelle Pienaar

Disciplinary matters

A year ago, Council established a committee that investigated the matter. It was chaired by the then deputy mayor, Gert van Niekerk, who has since been removed from the GRDM Council. Lichaba did not pitch for the disciplinary meeting to state her case. However, she entered a plea of not guilty.

In his testimony, Booysen said Lichaba was given many opportunities to substantiate the allegations she made, but neglected to do so.

Booysen said these charges, should the speaker, himself and Stratu been found guilty of them, would have had serious repercussions on their careers. He also said the integrity of the GRDM was severely affected as they were tarnished in the media and on social media regarding the allegations.

Stratu testified that he was shocked and embarrassed, as it was the first time in his career that he had to face this type of allegation. He requested a round table discussion with Lichaba to address the matters, but that never took place, as Lichaba withdrew the allegations at that point. A few weeks later she took the matter up again.

FF Plus lodge their objection

Danie Acker of the Freedom Front Plus objected to Council's decision to drop all charges against Councillor Clodia Lichaba. "It is directly against the recommendation. A process was followed and recommendations made. Why decide differently at the council meeting?" said Acker.

During the council meeting, newly elected GRDM Mayor Andrew Stroebel said the decision was taken because the investigation took too long, the chairperson of the disciplinary committee, Gert van Niekerk, is no longer there and two of the three panel members who served on the disciplinary committee are of the same party, which is not fair.