Mangaung council speaker Stefani Lockman-Naidoo has vowed not to stop fighting corruption in the metro after she was summoned to a disciplinary hearing set for next month for disobeying her party, the ANC, resulting in the axing and suspension of senior officials in the municipality.
The ANC Mangaung Interim Regional Committee (IRC) has summoned her to a disciplinary hearing on June 7 to answer to charges of knowingly and intentionally defying a resolution of the ANC Caucus in council after she allowed a motion to be debated without referring it to party structures in the council.
Lockman-Naidoo’s tiff with her party dates back to January when the Mangaung IRC announced her suspension after she was accused of defying the ANC’s instruction no to proceed with a sitting which resulted in then acting city manager Sello More being removed from office.
The Mangaung speaker also told The Free Stater on Thursday that she was being targeted for presiding over a recent council sitting that resolved to suspend several allegedly corrupt officials in the municipality.
“We are being charged for suspending a corrupt HOD (head of department),” said Lockman-Naidoo, referring to David Nkaiseng who heads corporate services.
A council meeting held on May 12 – after receiving an investigation report from Matlho Attorneys – resolved, among others, to bring charges against Nkaiseng for his alleged role in unlawfully appointing the officials resulting in the flouting of municipal policy of appointment of officials as well as flouting municipal staff regulations and the code of conduct for municipal officials.
“We are being targeted because we are purging these corrupt officials of Mangaung,” charged Lockman-Naidoo.
“I will not tolerate any corruption . . . Wherever I go I will be known as that speaker that didn’t tolerate corruption,” she added confidently.
The speaker was however quick to point out that those charging her had no authority to do so.
“But you see, the charges are not from the ANC because they didn’t ask for permission from the provincial coordinator (Paseka Nompondo) to charge us,” she said.
“The region itself is an illegitimate structure. Its term has expired and these are just factions . . .
“It’s a faction of the region that is charging us – it’s not the ANC.
“They are the ones that are purging us because we are not part of their faction.
“This is what’s going on. They don’t tolerate me.”
Lockman-Naidoo claimed the faction was not happy with the suspension of the HOD.
“The council resolution . . . says several criminal charges must be opened against the HOD himself and relevant officials,” she said.
“And I’m wrong for suspending a person like that?
“I don’t mind being charged at all because we did the right thing as council.
“They are saying . . . they are charging us because I allowed the item to sit in council.
“It’s not my item – it’s a council item. I couldn’t remove it. There was nothing I could do.”
Council also resolved that Nzimeni Maswabi be charged by acting city manager for his role in approving unlawful staff appointments.
It also wants Thabang Joseph Mpeli to be charged for his role in the drafting of unlawful appointment letters.
However, ANC Mangaung IRC spokesperson Ncamisa Ngxangisa has dismissed Lockman-Naidoo’s claims saying the party was not targeting anyone but it simply wanted to put its house in order.
In a separate interview, Ngxangisa said there were concerns some councillors could be working with the opposition, hence the probe.
“We are not targeting individuals. We are dealing with members of the ANC who happen to be councillors in this regard,” he told The Free Stater.
“This is after we received concerns that there could be some members who are voting with the opposition, against the position of the caucus of the ANC in that municipality.
“We took everything as it is, and referred the matter to our sub-committee that deals with issues of discipline so that they inquire into all these allegations levelled against all these comrades.
“But at the same time, it gives these comrades an opportunity to respond or query any evidence that may be presented against them.”
Ngxangisa said every organisation implements disciplinary processes when something goes wrong and the ANC was only exercising its right to do so.
“We are a political party, we contest elections,” he said.
“We are relying on our councillors to make sure that our policy position and decisions find expression in that council.
“If there are allegations that such is not happening, any self-loving political party will stand up and do something about it.
“These accusations are neither here nor there – no one is targeted.
“There are concerns that the centre is not holding in that municipality.
“Our caucus through the chief whip is not given enough support by our councillors and there are such allegations.
“That’s a cause for serious concern which must be attended to so that the ANC can at least enjoy its majority in that municipality.”
The Mangaung IRC spokesperson emphasised that the ANC was firmly against any corrupt activities but indicated that councillors were expected to represent the interests of the party and not their own.
“When we say all councillors must toe this line, we expect everyone to toe that line. Anyone who goes astray is a concern to us,” he said. – Staff Reporter