The axing of Makana Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart has drawn mixed reactions from vocal observers of local government, with opinion divided as to whether this heralds better or worse democratic practice.
The axing of Makana Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart has drawn mixed reactions from vocal observers of local government, with opinion divided as to whether this heralds better or worse democratic practice.
But what all agree on is that the hiring of senior officials should be done without political interference. Baart was suspended last Friday following Council's decision to investigate allegations related to her annual report and her behaviour in Council meetings.
The local DA sparked debate when they questioned the manner in which Baart had been suspended, saying it came about “without warning, almost as a motion of exigency”. Richard Pithouse, of the Rhodes University Politics department, said this week that the main problem highlighted by questions around Baart's suspension was Council's lack of transparency.
“It’s a very serious issue, and we need all the information,” Pithouse said. In the absence of reliable information, Pithouse said he could only speculate on the move. If Baart were indeed found to be unsuitable for the position of municipal manager, her axing would be a good sign” because municipal managers wielded considerable power – in some cases more than the mayor – and abuse could have devastating consequences. If on the other hand Baart had been doing her job correctly, Pithouse said, her departure would be a disaster.
“There are plenty of cases around the country of this occurring,” he said, explaining that municipal employees were frequently ousted as a result of over-competence. But, judging the municipality as a whole, he believes that “It’s not the worst here in Makana.”
Also responding to the news, retired councillor Michael Whisson told Grocott's Mail this week that Baart was effectively doomed to fail from the start. At the time of Baart's appointment, Whisson said, she was “without question, not the best qualified person for the position. Making things worse were gender, organisational and party politics. She had little choice about the appointment of the directors who report directly to her,” Whisson said, "and the men over whom she was placed appear to have very little respect for women”.
Whisson said the municipality's problems were complicated by the “repeated assertion by ANC councillors and party officials that posts should be filled by 'our' [ANC] people, as opposed to the best qualified applicant for the post”.
This, Whisson said, was a policy that went far beyond racial or gender affirmative action. Also this week Ayanda Kota, leader of social movement the Unemployed People’s Movement, told Grocott's Mail the organisation welcomed the decision to suspend Baart, saying it was long overdue.
The financial disarray in the municipality spoke volumes” of her incompetence. Kota said of Baart that as manager and chief accounting officer, the buck stops with her”.
However, he hoped the matter would be resolved speedily, because both the suspended manager and the interim manager were receiving salaries, which was “not right”.
Kota went on to say that political interference in choosing a new manager would be unwelcome and unnecessary. Like Whisson, he believes the best-qualified person should get the job. “The ruling party needs to look at the deployment policy and correct it. At the moment it is only compromising the governance in this municipality,” Kota said.
Kota echoed Pithouse's plea for transparency. “If we are a democracy, then how can these people make decisions for us, without giving us the full information first?” Kota asked. Kota believes councillors present their issues in such a complicated way that people still don't know what's going on.
“We need a system where the government is accountable for its actions. It cannot make decisions on your behalf without you even knowing,” he said. Municipal spokesperson Thandy Matebese told Grocott’s Mail on Wednesday that there were no further announcements regarding Baart's status and further developments would now be a matter of official procedure.
Ins and outs of muni positions
The Makana Council has seen a year of resignations and suspensions, for reasons reaching from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Over the last year, suspended chief financial officer Jackson Ngcelwane has received full pay, and his case is yet to reach conclusion. All that the municipality has revealed about his case is that Jackson was, placed on precautionary suspension because of a preliminary investigation. These were the words of the now-suspended municipal manager Ntombi Baart, at the time of Jackson's suspension last year.
Last year also saw the resignation of Dabula Njilo, the director of technical and infrastructural services, as well as water services manager, Mongeze Mabece, in the same period. According to municipal spokesperson Thandy Matebese, the former position is being finalised, while Luthando Mashiya has been appointed to replace Mabece.
The previous director of corporate services, Thabiso Klaas still faces charges of drunk driving that date back to 2009. In its most recent development, Klaas's case has been postponed, once again, due to the original charge sheet having gone missing. Klaas's contract expired last month and his attempts to renew it have been unsuccessful. Matebese says that they are currently conducting interviews to replace Klaas.
