Just hours after a Buffalo City Metro council meeting collapsed on Friday due to its failure to meet a quorum, the mayor fired two of her executive committee members.
Mayor Zukiswa Ncitha’s spokesman Sibusiso Cindi confirmed Ncitha had issued letters of termination, but added the matter was still under discussion between the mayor and the concerned councillors.
The letters were given to community services head Nomfanelo Ngesi and head of corporate services, Thembisa Zantsi.
Zantsi confirmed receiving her letter while Ngesi refused to comment.
“I still want guidance from the ANC. At this stage I am not ready to comment to the media,” Ngesi said.
Zantsi said she had received a letter from Ncitha stating her “services have been terminated from May 22”.
“The letter then refers to the Municipal Systems Act so we are still seeking clarity from both the mayor and the ANC as to reasons why. At this stage we are not sure what this means,” said Zantsi.
Cindi said the mayor had issued the letters to the councillors informing them of a “possible mayoral committee reshuffling”.
“The reshuffling matter is under discussion between the councillors and the executive mayor. There is no final decision that has been taken yet,” said Cindi.
Ncitha’s mayoral shake up came on the eve of a visit by the ANC’s national executive committee and national working committee to the metro.
Party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the visit was meant to assess the state of the organisation in the region.
At present the BCM council is divided between supporters of the mayor and those behind municipal manager Andile Fani.
Both Zantsi and Ngesi are viewed as close allies of Fani as all three are SACP members.
This is the second mayoral reshuffle in six months and SACP supporters have been on the receiving end in both instances.
Zantsi and Ngesi are among the ANC councillors who are against Fani’s suspension. They both marched out of the April 29 meeting which instructed the mayor to put Fani on special leave.
Zantsi argued against the presentation of the “Fani conduct report” when the matter was first discussed in council. When her attempts to protect Fani failed, she marched out of the meeting along with opposition councillors.
Two BCM mayoral executives served with dismissal letters
Mayor Zukiswa Ncitha’s spokesman Sibusiso Cindi confirmed Ncitha had issued letters of termination, but added the matter was still under discussion between the mayor and the concerned councillors.
The letters were given to community services head Nomfanelo Ngesi and head of corporate services, Thembisa Zantsi.
Zantsi confirmed receiving her letter while Ngesi refused to comment.
“I still want guidance from the ANC. At this stage I am not ready to comment to the media,” Ngesi said.
Zantsi said she had received a letter from Ncitha stating her “services have been terminated from May 22”.
“The letter then refers to the Municipal Systems Act so we are still seeking clarity from both the mayor and the ANC as to reasons why. At this stage we are not sure what this means,” said Zantsi.
Cindi said the mayor had issued the letters to the councillors informing them of a “possible mayoral committee reshuffling”.
“The reshuffling matter is under discussion between the councillors and the executive mayor. There is no final decision that has been taken yet,” said Cindi.
Ncitha’s mayoral shake up came on the eve of a visit by the ANC’s national executive committee and national working committee to the metro.
Party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the visit was meant to assess the state of the organisation in the region.
At present the BCM council is divided between supporters of the mayor and those behind municipal manager Andile Fani.
Both Zantsi and Ngesi are viewed as close allies of Fani as all three are SACP members.
This is the second mayoral reshuffle in six months and SACP supporters have been on the receiving end in both instances.
Zantsi and Ngesi are among the ANC councillors who are against Fani’s suspension. They both marched out of the April 29 meeting which instructed the mayor to put Fani on special leave.
Zantsi argued against the presentation of the “Fani conduct report” when the matter was first discussed in council. When her attempts to protect Fani failed, she marched out of the meeting along with opposition councillors.
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