PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Some old faces have reappeared in the top Bitou municipality management structure after the recent "takeover" of the administration by the majority councillors of the DA, IPM and AUF.

The usual game of musical chairs that normally follows a change in political leadership will see Mbulelo Memani return as acting municipal manager after he was ousted by the former ANC coalition and given a R4 million severance package.

Also returning as acting CFO is Felix Lötter, who was credited with turning around Bitou's finances last year and enabling it to receive a clean audit. Lötter is expected to return to his position as director.

Two other surprise developments affected two other directors.

Advocate Luvuyo Loliwe, formerly from Knysna, who was nominated by deputy mayor Nokuzola Kolwapi of the IPM as corporate services director, has been appointed in that position. Although he did, or did not, receive concurrence from the Western Cape MEC for local government Anton Bredell for his appointment, the council decided to appoint him nonetheless.

Loliwe's record of experience at senior level had been raised as an issue.

Bill Nel, caucus leader of the DA in council, who has now been appointed to the Mayco committee to head the finance portfolio, said council had to make the appointment "to remain within the legislation (the Structures Act)".

Tanya Wildeman, acting director of planning and infrastructure development, will be returning to her previous department of human resources, said Nel.

She did not receive concurrence from Bredell because he found she did not have the necessary experience, nor certain qualifications for the position.

At the council meeting on 26 August, chaired by the ANC/PDC/PA coalition, an attempt was made to appoint Wildeman permanently to the post, as well as Boy Ngubo as CFO.

The new majority councillors (of the DA/IMP/AUF) voted against Wildeman's apppointment - as did they for the permanent appointment of Boy Ngubo as CFO. At a council meeting, on Friday 30 August, this was all changed.

Ngubo, whose permanent appointment was scuppered by the majority councillors, has now been appointed as acting director of planning and infrastructure development and Wildeman returns to her former human resources department.

Nel said it was a pity "that we have have to go through musical chairs" again.

"What we need is to re-establish stability and confidence in the management support structure," said Nel.

He said Lötter would most likely return to his position as senior manager of governance and compliance, complementing the interests of the CFO - and also interact with the municipal manager, and an integral part of his portfolio would be adviser to the mayor.

Jessica Kamkam, as mayor, believes Memani and Lötter can "hit the ground running" and take Bitou to greater heights "as they have done it previously".

Kamkam also announced her mayoral committee (Mayco) executive, or new political leadership, at the meeting.

Kamkam will chair the Mayco committee, with the other portfolios going to deputy mayor Nokuzola Kolwapi (IPM) (strategic services); Bill Nel (DA) (finance and cooperative government); and Annelise Olivier (community services and engineering).

The MPAC chairmanship goes to recently appointed DA councillor Renecia Willemse.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’