The Democratic Alliance has contradicted its stated policy by giving an African National Congress-aligned municipal manager a R1,8-million golden handshake.
The mayoral committee decided to terminate Bruce Kannemeyer’s contract, and pay him out for the remainder of his term, at its first meeting after the March local elections.
However, it omitted to get a council mandate, as required by the Municipal Structures Act. The committee hopes to get council ratification when the full council meets later this month.
The DA has strongly criticised the awarding of golden handshakes to public officials and political purges of council officials. Cape Town mayor Helen Zille has said: ”The City of Cape Town will not allow the ratepayers’ money to be abused through pre-planned golden handshakes.” She said a purge of council employees by former Cape Town municipal manager Wallace Mgoqi, ”representing decades of collective experience”, had cost about R80-million in public funds”.
The party has also consistently denied that the axing of Mgoqi was based on his ANC links. It successfully argued in the Cape High Court that former mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo lacked the necessary council resolution to extend his contract.
In the preamble to the settlement agreement, the DA and Kannemeyer state that the mayoral committee terminated his contract ”unanimously and unilaterally, based on political grounds”.
ANC regional chairperson Mike Mgajo said the ANC would not ratify the agreement. ”If we had our way, we would reinstate Kannemeyer and take the money paid to him back.”
To block the ratification, however, the ANC would need at least two votes from other parties that have thrown their weight behind the DA. The ruling coalition includes the African Christian Democratic Party, the Khayamandi Civic Alliance and the United Democratic Movement.
Kannemeyer said he was willing to return to his post if the council did not ratify his sacking.
DA council chief whip Benninghoff Giliomee referred a M&G question about the apparent breach of party policy to the office of the mayor, Lauretta Maree. Maree’s spokesperson said she was busy in a meeting and could not immediately respond.