An ANC faction in the troubled Mnquma municipality voted today to end municipal manager Sindile Tantsi's contract with immediate effect.
Tantsi told DispatchLIVE he did not recognise the decision because the newly-elected mayor, speaker and chief whip were in a meeting with him when the vote was taken.
He was referring to Tobakazi Ntanga, Zenzile Gade and Ncumisa Tandaphi who were elected at a Tuesday council meeting to replace Thobeka Bikitsha, Zibuthe Mnqwazi and Zakhele Mkiva as mayor, speaker and chief whip respectively.
Bikitsha and Mnqwazi described the meeting which ousted them as a joke and unconditional as it had not been called by Mnqwazi as speaker.
The Mnquma soap opera, which has gripped the rural council since August last year, is likely going to continue and further affect service delivery.
After today's meeting, where 33 councillors voted to end Tantsi's contract, Bikitsha said Tantsi had told them he wanted out, and that lawyers would now negotiate Tantsi's exit package.
But Tantsi said he was going nowhere.
"I am not aware of any council meeting that took place. We had a mayoral committe meeting today. I'm at my office as we speak.
"Bikitsha is no longer the mayor," he said, claiming that those who wanted to see the back of him wanted to hide corrupt activities he had uncovered.
It remains to be seen how the matter will be resolved but ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane has promised that action would be taken against ill-disciplined councillors.
Dual councils duel over manager's fate
An ANC faction in the troubled Mnquma municipality voted today to end municipal manager Sindile Tantsi's contract with immediate effect.
Tantsi told DispatchLIVE he did not recognise the decision because the newly-elected mayor, speaker and chief whip were in a meeting with him when the vote was taken.
He was referring to Tobakazi Ntanga, Zenzile Gade and Ncumisa Tandaphi who were elected at a Tuesday council meeting to replace Thobeka Bikitsha, Zibuthe Mnqwazi and Zakhele Mkiva as mayor, speaker and chief whip respectively.
Bikitsha and Mnqwazi described the meeting which ousted them as a joke and unconditional as it had not been called by Mnqwazi as speaker.
The Mnquma soap opera, which has gripped the rural council since August last year, is likely going to continue and further affect service delivery.
After today's meeting, where 33 councillors voted to end Tantsi's contract, Bikitsha said Tantsi had told them he wanted out, and that lawyers would now negotiate Tantsi's exit package.
But Tantsi said he was going nowhere.
"I am not aware of any council meeting that took place. We had a mayoral committe meeting today. I'm at my office as we speak.
"Bikitsha is no longer the mayor," he said, claiming that those who wanted to see the back of him wanted to hide corrupt activities he had uncovered.
It remains to be seen how the matter will be resolved but ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane has promised that action would be taken against ill-disciplined councillors.
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