Ousted MM back

Despite court orders that he should have returned to work after he was booted out on July 12, Kekana was physically locked out of the municipality until Monday morning.
On 12 July Mogalakwena Mayor, Thlalefi Mashemaite, presented a report from the executive committee regarding a ‘settlement’ with Kekana.
At this meeting the opposition cited that “no report was attached 24 hours in advance as required by the standing rules and orders as well as the Municipal Systems Act of 2000.” A motion was brought and seconded that the meeting should be adjourned until due process was followed.
The motion by opposing councillors was ignored and the mayor was allowed to present the report verbally, without any written copy being presented to council.
Opposition parties registered their votes against the continuation of the illegal meeting and walked out.
But neither this, nor four consecutive court orders against councillors not to discuss the terms of the contract of the MM (a court case between him and the council was still sub judice) stopped ANC councillors from cancelling Kekana’s contract.
At Friday’s meeting, however, council also adopted a resolution to renew Kekana’s contract until 2016.
“Now we have to clean up the mess,” Kekana told Northern News on Monday. He started by making it clear that no municipal officials are to take orders from the mayor. “The protocol is that all instructions should come through the municipal manager.”
Throughout the course of Monday morning councillors and municipal officials flocked to the MM’s office to welcome Kekana back, but only opposition councillors stayed while others kept their visits short. “There is a lot of intimidation and people are scared to openly show support,” DA councillor Marcelle Maritz said.
Mayor Mashemaite, however, denied knowledge of any intimidation. He did not wish to comment on the allegations of nepotism.

Mokopane’s embattled municipal manager (MM), William Kekana, was back in his office on Monday morning. This follows an emergency council meeting last Friday where 33 of Mogalakwena’s councillors voted in favour of a resolution to have him reinstated. (Also read Mashemaite’s final stand)