REFILWE MEKOA
The alleged sacking of the Moqhaka Municipality Manager is a very sensitive issue.
This is according to municipal spokesperson Khojane Madiba. He said Simon Moqwathi resumed his working duties today in Kroonstad after being off sick for six weeks. Moqwathi was allegedly dismissed by Free State Premier Ace Magashule last week at the water and sanitation meeting in Bloemfontein.
Madiba added that most municipal officials don’t know anything about the matter.
“The manager is at work, doing his normal working routines. The municipality doesn’t know anything whatsoever. Everything is going on normally at the moment and I’m not sure if the municipal manager has indicated or had knowledge of his dismissal. Apart from that, we cannot report anything at this matter,” said Madiba.
According to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs HOD Victor Duma, Magashule doesn’t have the power to dismiss a municipal official. He said the premier was emphasising to all municipalities that they could no longer afford to have residents complain about lack of service or poor service delivery due to incompetent municipal officials.
Duma insisted that Moqwathi has not been dismissed yet, but he has been asked to resign as Moqhaka needed to find a strong person to operate this municipality.
