PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Suggestions that Bitou Municipal Manager Mbulelo Memani will be placed on leave of absence have been met with the response from Bitou Mayor Jessica Kamkam that "no formal proposal has been submitted to the council".
Memani has, according to documents in the last council meeting's agenda which were subsequently withdrawn, been cleared of seven counts in a disciplinary hearing – and has to repay R1,9m of a R4,5m "mutual severance agreement".
Kamkam said in a statement that, should the recommendation that Memani be placed on leave of absence arise, "it must follow the appropriate procedures, including consideration through the relevant structures and, if necessary, a resolution of the council".
Kamkam added: "As previously communicated, I requested the withdrawal of the item concerning Mr Memani from the council agenda on procedural grounds.
"My office had not been consulted on drafting the resolutions, and I had not yet had the opportunity to consider correspondence received from his legal representatives at the time.
"Since then, my office has responded to Mr Memani's lawyers in writing, outlining my views on the request".
Kamkam said she was mindful of the concerns raised by the Memani issue and understood the sensitivity of the matter.
"My office remains committed to the legal framework that binds us. It is not correct that the current coalition is under pressure [because of the Memani issue]. On the contrary, it remains united in its efforts toward clean, transparent, and accountable governance," said Kamkam.
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