Furious councillors at a municipal public accounts committee meeting accused Nelson Mandela Bay acting city manager Ted Pillay of losing control after six crucial items had to be shelved because of the absence of reports.
The long-delayed reports were meant to have been tabled at the public accounts watchdog’s meeting on Tuesday after a two-month recess to accommodate by-elections held in several wards in the metro recently.
However, because executive directors failed to submit five of the reports — a report on the Mandela Bay Development Agency was available — all six items were deferred to the committee’s quarterly meeting later in September.
Opening the meeting, committee chair Luxolo Namette said he was disappointed that Pillay was allowing executive directors to attend meetings without bringing the necessary reports, and that no action was being taken against them.
He said a public accounts committee meeting meant to be held on July 3 had to be cancelled for the same reason and that no explanation had been provided.
“Looking at the items, I’m very disappointed that some executive directors are not here and they did not bother submitting reports for their directorates.
“It’s as if they don’t understand the seriousness of this because the success of this committee is dependent on the reports and their lack of submission is setting us [up] for failure because without those reports we can’t convene.
“I’m of the view that consequence management should apply and the acting city manager must bring a report to the next meeting stating what he has done about this because it seems as though there’s no administration head when such things happen,” Namette said.
The six items withdrawn were the reports on:
• The MBDA;
• Overtime paid to employees earning above the threshold;
• Human capital capacity;
• Councillors attending skills development training;
• The ineffectiveness of the public accounts committee due to lack of capacity; and
• Hospitals that did not have night porters as well as problems with the 10111 number.
MBDA chief executive Anele Qaba left the meeting after it was announced that discussions on items relating to the agency had been deferred.
ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom expressed disappointment at councillors having to discuss three old items while new ones that were in the public interest were shelved.
“These items are not new, they were brought here in the previous meeting, and we had questions because the reports were incomplete, and they are returning here still with outstanding information.
“The acting city manager must explain why we are sitting with a thin agenda when so much is going on in this city, unless he can’t get the officials to do what they need to.”
DA councillor Gert Engelbrecht questioned the credibility of the reports brought to the committee.
“In the last meeting we asked for the template used to compile our reports and it’s not here, which is why we are sitting with confusing and incomplete reports.
“Why aren’t all reports written in the same format?
“Are we not being taken seriously or are the officials not reading the minutes of previous meetings?”
EFF councillor Siyabulela Mosi said it seemed as though Pillay was out of his depth in leading the administration.
“About 90% of these reports emanate from May and it seems the acting city manager is not in charge here.
“If he was in charge of anything, people would not submit reports unchecked because they know what’s expected of them.
“You have failed to ensure that the executive directors do their job for the success of the city,” Mosi said.
Responding to councillors’ concerns, Pillay apologised for the withdrawal of the items, saying he would question the executive directors on why they had not submitted reports and devise a course of action.
“I apologise to the committee, and I will bring a report to this effect in the next committee.”
Namette responded: “We don’t accept this apology.
“If you are afraid to do your job, tell us because we are on a mission to bring down our fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure but we can’t do this if there are no reports submitted.”
The Herald
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