Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The Labour Court of South Africa found on Tuesday 13 August that the appointment of Bitou's municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo – who was rehired earlier this year after he was dismissed from the same municipality in 2012 – was unlawful.

Ngoqo was reappointed in February despite his dismissal seven years ago over financial misconduct.

Provincial Local Government MEC Anton Bredell subsequently took the matter to court, which found this week that Ngoqo's reappointment was unlawful and ordered that his appointment be set aside, as well as a settlement agreement between himself and the municipality amounting to more than R780 000.

Bredell said he took legal action after "exhausting all other options" and that the action by the Bitou council had been intended to circumvent the law.

"A cost order was also made against the council. We want to urge our municipalities to remember who they are representing. These are communities who are putting their trust in their leaders and rely on their leaders to place community interests first."

Acting Bitou Corporate Services director Gerrie Groenewald responded as follows: "We are currently studying the judgment and will comment in due course."

Read a previous article here: Bitou's Municipal Manager must go

'We bring you the latest Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route news'