7 December 2012
015 307 7248
MM held responsible for missing
R60 000 A criminal case of theft against the Greater Tzaneen Municipality’s newly appointed municipal manager, Mr Masiye Elias Mankabidi, seems to have been “dropped”). The case was opened in 2006, after Mankabidi in his capacity as CFO of the Greater Letaba Municipality (Modjadjiskloof) and Ellene Schnel (the income accountant) were found guilty of gross negligence after R60 000 had gone missing. A disciplinary tribunal found them both guilty of gross negligence at the time and recommended that they be fired. They were, however, only suspended — for about eight months (June to February). The mayor of the GLM, Mr Josua Matlou, said at the time he allowed them to return to work on condition they repaid the R60 000. The incident caused a stir when it was established that the GLM had spent R358 500 on lawyers to handle the disciplinary hearing, and R400 000 for their salaries during their suspension. We tried to find out about the police investigation, but couldn’t speak to anyone who is authorised to speak to the media from the SAPS or the justice department or the GLM before our deadline. In 2007 the DA’s coucillor in the GLM, Ms Rene Pohl, said she was not only concerned with the soft sentence, but also the amount paid to the lawyers. “It’s really a huge amount, and we believe it’s an issue that the Law Society should be asked to investigate,” she said at the time. Pohl voted for Mankabidi’s appointment in the GTM’s Exco meeting last week, but then made a U-turn in the council meeting and voted against his apppointment. Mayor Dikeledi Mmetle hauled her over the coals in no uncertain terms for this.
— Francois Aucamp
francois@bulletin.us.com
www.bulletin.us.com
R4
Tzaneen Municipal Manager’s appointment
Rural areas: FREE • Platteland: GRATIS
Fear lessl y the tr uth
• Not qualified • Guilty of gross negligence • Suspended and reinstated • Investigated for theft
It’s a farce!
Last week’s appointment of Mr Masiye Elias Mankabidi as Municipal Manager of the Greater Tzaneen is said to be incomprehensible (except for the councillors who voted in his favour) and definitely inadmissible. The two most prominent reasons for the uproar about Mankabidi’s appointment, who ”required a monthly salary of R91 666,66” — are: • His qualifications, and • The fact that he has been found guilty of gross negli-
gence by a tribunal and that his negligence is/was being investigated by the SA Police. According to his CV, Mankabidi (43) holds a B Comm degree from the University of the North (UniLim), a certificate in municipal finance from Wits, a diploma in project management from Damelin and seven other short course certificates (things like time management, chairing a disciplinary meeting, chain management etc). He obtainmed his degree in
Makhwaya is a form of traditional music and dance with an element of what is called stokvel where va-Tsonga communities, mostly in the villages, meet and dance to traditional music before they exchange gifts. To highlight this rich culture, eTV has made a documentary to be broadcast on 13 January. Seen here are performers entertaining people.
1995 but only started in his first job in 1997, with Sapekoe Estates as admin manager/accountant. In October 2003 he was appointed as chief financial officer (CFO) of the Greater Letaba Municipality, in September 2011 he became CFO of the Mopani District Municipality and on 4 July this year he was re-deployed as acting municipal manager of the GTM. The vacancy for MM was advertised by the GTM, stipulating, amongst others, the following qualification: “A minimum qualification of an appropriate NQF level 7 or a B degree Hons in related field.” Mankabidi has neither an NQF level 7 qualification, nor a B Honours degree. Another interesting aspect is that Mankabidi claims to have completed his B Comm in only two years. People reckon that this is unlikely, but add that if he managed to do the three year course in two years, he could be seen as rather talented when it comes to the subjects for his degree. However, according to his matric certificate he scraped through both Business Economics and Accounting with E symbols. He did better in Economics with a C symbol. It could thus be said that he sparked at university level in subjects that weren’t his best at school. There is yet another interesting aspect to Mankabidi’s appointment, namely that in order of merit he was only fourth on the
short list of seven candidates. The previous director: community services of the GTM, Mr O Z Mkhombo, was the most preferred candidate by the panel who interviewed the seven candidates. Mkhombo has since been re-appointed as director: community services. The second candidate on the list of preferred candidates was Mr I P Mushinyadi and Ms M E Lebepe was third. — Francois Aucamp francois@bulletin.us.com
Akani Molewa was one of the guests at The King’s Court College in Modjadjiskloof’s Gr 12 celebration banquet. Turn to page 15 for more photos.