KNYSNA NEWS - The Knysna Ratepayers Association (KRA) has joined the dispute between the DA and ANC in Knysna over the appointment of Dr Sandile Ngqele as director of Community Services, saying the appointment was "patently unlawful".
In a statement on Friday, KRA said Ngqele should not have been shortlisted, let alone appointed, "for he fails to satisfy the municipality's advertised requirements - finish en klaar."
This echoes a DA press statement last week where DA Constituency Head Dion George said Ngqele lacked senior managerial experience and his appointment could result in a costly dispute for the municipality.
ANC secretary for the Southern Cape Major Sokopo disputed the claims and called for the DA to go back and check their facts.
KRA said the appointment was made "behind closed doors", saying the public has a right to information about applicants for a director's position. "Any candidate who applies for an important position with a public entity should have nothing to hide," it said.
"Had the DA not issued a press release about the sneaky and patently unlawful appointment of Dr Ngqele as director of Community Services, we... would have been none the wiser." Based on press releases by the DA and the ANC, as well as Ngqele's LinkedIn account, the KRA is convinced that Ngqele "should not even have been shortlisted".
"It is entrenched law that an organ of state is bound by its advertised requirements for a post, and may not shortlist or hire a person who does not qualify," said KRA. The advertisement for the director's post required seven years' relevant experience at senior and middle management level, of which two should be at senior management level.
"It is common cause that Dr Ngqele has never been appointed as a director or section 76 manager," KRA stated.
Sompani
The KRA said eyebrows were also raised when the ANC and their enablers voted to appoint Bitou Director of Community Services, TM Sompani, to the selection panel.
"Sompani was formerly director of Community Services in Knysna, but was dismissed for misconduct involving dishonesty in about 2007... We braced ourselves for a bad outcome, and it seems our fears have been confirmed by events."
The association has requested reasons for the "dubious" appointment from the municipality and will decide whether to take that decision on review to the High Court once it has received the information.
"A decision to go to court will not be taken lightly, but recent history has taught us what to expect from cadre deployment. Our town cannot afford this. We deserve better. We hope it will not be necessary to go to court, and that the Knysna Council will rescind or take its own decision on review."
KRA said if it is left with no option but to approach the court to set aside Ngqele's appointment, it shall be asking for personal cost orders against each councillor who voted for the unlawful appointment, as well as every councillor who enabled the decision by abstaining from voting. Knysna United councillor Welcome Salaze declined to comment, as he was part of the panel that interviewed the candidates.
Acting Knysna Municipal Manager Dawid Adonis confirmed that the municipality has received a request to access information from the KRA. "We are in the process of responding to the same," he said.
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