Tempers flared at a Nelson Mandela Bay public health committee meeting on Thursday after an official’s failure to attend led to the deferment of a report on department vacancies — for the third time.
Public health political head Thsonono Buyeye told councillors he was equally shocked to receive an email at 11am — an hour after the meeting was scheduled to begin — from human resources director Chris Jamda telling him he would not be attending.
In the email, Buyeye said, Jamda had cited a breakdown in the relationship with the executive director of corporate services, Nosipho Xhego.
“It is a long email and he kind of distances himself from the executive director.
“But acting city manager [Ted Pillay] is aware of the matter and I will again speak to him and the mayor [Babalwa Lobishe].
“I will do it in writing this time so that they can assist us with this issue of corporate services.”
When asked to comment, Xhego said she had forwarded a request from the acting city manager for an official to attend the public health committee meetings to Jamda, who is the head of recruitment.
“The city manager wrote to us after public health had complained that for six months, only one appointment had been made in the directorate.
“The email has been brought to my attention. I do not know anything about a breakdown in relations,” she said.
“I got an instruction from the city manager that I be present at the meetings or a representative be appointed.
“I forwarded that request to Jamda as head of recruitment and asked for a report from the practitioner so that if he could for whatever reason not attend, I am aware.
“The practitioner was at the last meeting before this.
“I am sure there was unhappiness about there not being a report, but what will clarify what has happened are the minutes of the meeting.
“I do not know what he is on about because I believe I have given him space to do what he wants,” Xhego said.
Jamda, when contacted, asked to be called back after 30 minutes. However, he could not be reached again.
Feeling undermined by being snubbed, councillors instructed Buyeye to write to Pillay demanding that officials be held accountable.
ANC councillor Lorna Makwetu said it was time Buyeye put his foot down.
“We are tired of this disrespect, you spoke to them last [time] but the email to the city manager must be stern,” she said.
“It is not just the 16 councillors here that are being undermined, we do not care about their excuses.
“We want that report for our communities, also so that this committee can account to the council.
“When we want something for the community, it must be brought here because it is filthy in this metro,” she said.
DA councillor Mthokozisi Nkosi said it was concerning there had already been an instruction from the city manager on the report yet it was being ignored.
“The administration, the city manager and us as councillors are all being undermined.
“I do not want warm useless bodies in this directorate but people who are going to work,” he said.
A turnaround strategy report that paints a grim picture of the solid waste management and refuse collection sub-directorate in the city was also debated.
It shows the sub-directorate is severely understaffed, with 287 funded vacancies — which is almost half of those meant to be employed by the city.
A further 40 vacancies are unfunded.
It also shows the city’s solid waste management and refuse collection systems are teetering on the edge, with a deteriorating fleet, severe staff shortages and landfills that are near capacity.
Just 10 of the municipality’s fleet of 50 compactors remain operational, while 54 are needed for refuse collection for the city.
This means the municipality leased compactors at a total cost of R50m to keep the streets clean from April to June, according to a June council report.
To overhaul its collapsing refuse and waste systems, it needs R1.3bn.
However, councillors demanded more answers and details on the plan to turn the situation around.
The Herald
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