News24 reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini wants city manager Musa Mbhele suspended on the basis that he was illegally appointed to his position.

"The DA in eThekwini demands that the municipal manager, Musa Mbhele, be suspended immediately pending the conclusion of the investigation into his alleged illegal appointment," said DA chief whip in council, Thabani Mthethwa. He also said the party would also write to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi requesting Mbhele's immediate removal. According to Mthethwa, a screening committee should have provided the selection panel that appointed Mbhele with a 2019 report issued by the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU). The report implicated Mbhele in a violation of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) in that he entered into a memorandum of agreement that changed the terms of a tender contract without council approval. Disciplinary processes were recommended against Mbhele, but they were not implemented when he was appointed city manager. Mthethwa said: “The report was clearly kept under wraps to ensure that the illegal appointment of Mbhele would go unchallenged, fulfilling the agenda of factional battles within the ANC.” Mthethwa said the DA would not have endorsed Mbhele's appointment had it been fully aware of "his past transgressions and pending disciplinary hearing". eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Lindiwe Khuzwayo said officials were attending to the matter.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kaveel Singh at News24 (subscriber access only)

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