Striking Amatola Water workers returned to work yesterday morning following urgent intervention by Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane, who has ordered an investigation against Amatola Water Board chairwoman Nokulunga Mnqeta.
Thousands of residents from Buffalo City Metro, Amathole District Municipality and parts of Chris Hani District Municipality, among other areas, were affected by the week-long strike.
Water is expected to be restored to all areas by later today, Mokonyane’s spokesman Mlimandlela Ndamase said yesterday.
The minister, her advisers and staff flew to East London on Saturday to resolve the “impasse” that was sparked by a legal letter sent by Mnqeta threatening to sue SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) Amatola regional chairman Victor Totolo for defamation.
In the letter sent through her lawyers, Mnqeta said the letter sent by Totolo on behalf of Amatola’s Samwu was in “breach of the constitutional rights” of Mnqeta.
The union had written to Mokonyane calling for Mnqeta’s removal as chairwoman of the board pending her fraud case after she was released on bail for allegedly defrauding development agency Aspire, where she served as CEO.
Following Mokonyane’s meetings with board members, management and Samwu, Mnqeta was instructed to withdraw the legal letter sent to Totolo and also to write an apology to the union following her threats to sue.
“Workers are back at work today and the minister will set up a task team to investigate all the matters raised, including the legal letter sent by the chairwoman.
“The team will also investigate allegations that she is meddling with union matters and they will report back to the minister after two weeks about the findings,” Ndamase told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“All systems will be restored and water should be pumped to full capacity in all areas by tomorrow . The minister cannot deal with operational matters and the board was tasked to deal with some other matters that were raised by the union,” said Ndamase yesterday.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Mnqeta said: “I don’t want to talk to anyone. Please call the CEO as he is the one responsible for communication in the company.”
The Dispatch could not get hold of CEO Lefadi Makibinyane by print deadline yesterday.
However, the Dispatch understands that following the meetings on Saturday, it was resolved that corporate services director Yondela Roboji, who was suspended earlier this year for “misconduct” and brought back to work by the board before her case had been finalised, was also put back on suspension until the conclusion of her case. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Minister puts end to Amatola Water strike
Thousands of residents from Buffalo City Metro, Amathole District Municipality and parts of Chris Hani District Municipality, among other areas, were affected by the week-long strike.
Water is expected to be restored to all areas by later today, Mokonyane’s spokesman Mlimandlela Ndamase said yesterday.
The minister, her advisers and staff flew to East London on Saturday to resolve the “impasse” that was sparked by a legal letter sent by Mnqeta threatening to sue SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) Amatola regional chairman Victor Totolo for defamation.
In the letter sent through her lawyers, Mnqeta said the letter sent by Totolo on behalf of Amatola’s Samwu was in “breach of the constitutional rights” of Mnqeta.
The union had written to Mokonyane calling for Mnqeta’s removal as chairwoman of the board pending her fraud case after she was released on bail for allegedly defrauding development agency Aspire, where she served as CEO.
Following Mokonyane’s meetings with board members, management and Samwu, Mnqeta was instructed to withdraw the legal letter sent to Totolo and also to write an apology to the union following her threats to sue.
“Workers are back at work today and the minister will set up a task team to investigate all the matters raised, including the legal letter sent by the chairwoman.
“The team will also investigate allegations that she is meddling with union matters and they will report back to the minister after two weeks about the findings,” Ndamase told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“All systems will be restored and water should be pumped to full capacity in all areas by tomorrow . The minister cannot deal with operational matters and the board was tasked to deal with some other matters that were raised by the union,” said Ndamase yesterday.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Mnqeta said: “I don’t want to talk to anyone. Please call the CEO as he is the one responsible for communication in the company.”
The Dispatch could not get hold of CEO Lefadi Makibinyane by print deadline yesterday.
However, the Dispatch understands that following the meetings on Saturday, it was resolved that corporate services director Yondela Roboji, who was suspended earlier this year for “misconduct” and brought back to work by the board before her case had been finalised, was also put back on suspension until the conclusion of her case. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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