Cape Town - Local Government MEC Anton Bredell has given the embattled Kannaland Municipality seven days to “remedy the recent appointment” of an acting director of corporate services, who allegedly does not have a degree.
Bredell said in a letter to the municipality this week, that Regenald Timmie did not possess the required qualification to act in the post.
The candidate fit for the position had to possess at least a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Law or other equivalent qualification, he said.
“On the Curriculum Vitae of Mr Regenald Timmie, he does not possess the required qualification to act in the post of director corporate services,” said Bredell.
He gave the municipality seven days to remedy the “unlawful appointment”.
“The municipality must take the necessary steps to ensure that a candidate that meets the prescribed minimum requirements is appointed to act in the post.
“Kindly within seven days of receipt of this letter provide me with the remedial steps the municipality will take to remedy this unlawful appointment, failing which I will have no alternative but to approach a court of law to review and set aside the appointment,” he said.
Bredell also asked the municipality to refrain from delegating the functions of the director: infrastructure services to Morné Hoogbaard, saying this was not permissible.
“As previously stated, Mr Hoogbaard does not meet the requirements to act in the post of director infrastructure services and therefore it is not permissible to delegate such authority to an incumbent that cannot act in the post,” he said.
He, however, said he met the requirements to act in the post of a director community services
“Mr Morné Hoogbaard does meet the requirements to act in the post of director community services and therefore I condone the extension of Mr Hoogbaard as acting director community services for a further three months,” he said.
In response to the Cape Times, Kannaland mayor Jeffrey Donson declined to comment, saying he had not seen Bredell’s letter.
“You have information that I don’t have,” he said.
DA Constituency head in Kannaland, Eleanor Bouw-Spies, said they had called on Donson to take appropriate action as a matter of urgency.
“The residents in Kannaland are already not receiving proper basic services, and when they employ inadequate public servants, residents will be deprived of the services they deserve,” she said.
Action Society called for Donson, who is convicted of rape, to be removed from the mayoral position.
Action Centre co-ordinator at Action Society, Kaylynn Palm said: “It is utterly regrettable and a slap in the face of thousands of victims of gender-based violence that they are allowed to hold such a high office despite their abhorrent criminal pasts. It is also a direct contradiction to the government’s condemnation and widely proclaimed efforts to eliminate crime, especially in the form of gender-based violence.”
Cape Times