News24 reports that the Western Cape High Court has ordered the beleaguered Knysna Municipality to restart the process of finding a new municipal manager – more than two years after it first began searching for a suitable candidate.
On Friday, the High Court declared the appointment of Ombali Sebola null and void, set the appointment aside and ordered the municipality to start the advertisement process afresh. The process to employ a municipal manager started on 9 December 2021, with advertisements sent out with a closing date of 5 January 2022. After that, the position was twice re-advertised, with 10 October 2022 being the final, revised closing date. At the time, three candidates, including Sebola, were shortlisted for the municipal manager position. The selection process, which took place on 6 December, involved interviews and assessments but notably excluded the DA's chief whip, Sharon Sabbagh, and other chief whips. An external company was hired to oversee the screening and shortlisting, leading to a report on the selection process. Despite needing further development, Sebola was noted for his competencies. The selection committee favoured the other two candidates, but after a January 2023 meeting, it acknowledged that all candidates met the necessary criteria in various competencies. Despite this, the committee recommended Sebola for the position, highlighting his interview performance. This recommendation and the selection reports were presented at a special council meeting on 25 January 2023. Sabbagh proposed re-advertising the position due to errors and irregularities, but the speaker ultimately supported the mayor's proposal to acknowledge the selection committee's report and appoint Sebola. The DA then launched a successful court bid to reverse Sebola's appointment. It argued that it had been "irrational to appoint an incompetent person when two other candidates were competent".
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24
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