The City of Johannesburg has instituted more than 400 disciplinary cases and placed 128 staff on precautionary suspension pending the finalisation of disciplinary processes as it cracks the whip on rogue employees.
According to the municipality’s integrated annual report for 2023/24, an operation manager has been called to account for alleged sexual harassment, while a manager in supply chain management resigned after being charged with financial misconduct.
Special Investigating Unit (SIU) CEO Andy Mothibi last week urged the metro to ensure all supply chain management officials undergo training and lifestyle audits, and that the metro follows strict compliance with procurement policies. He was briefing the standing committee on public accounts in parliament on the SIU’s investigation into allegations of irregular procurement processes and awarding of tenders in the city.
Last week Tshwane executive mayor Nasiphi Moya announced her administration had fired 67 officials in a crackdown on poor governance reflecting the broader decay plaguing local government across the country. She announced the completion of 180 forensic investigations, which led to 129 disciplinary cases and 39 criminal referrals.
According to the Joburg report, a CEO was issued with a final written warning for “gross negligence, gross misconduct, gross insubordination and bringing the company’s name into disrepute”.
A head gardener resigned over charges of misappropriation or abuse of council assets/properties; a cashier is facing fraud and theft charges, while four employees of the Joburg Roads Agency face allegations of furniture theft.
More than 20 officers with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department have been charged with corruption, fraud, being drunk on duty, theft, insubordination, assault, extortion, sexual harassment, and gross negligence. Their disciplinary cases are ongoing. The municipality has a workforce of about 32,000 employees.
Joburg mayor Dada Morero said the report serves as a “critical tool for transparency and accountability, offering a comprehensive account of the city’s financial, operational, and strategic activities”.
He said improvements were needed in revenue collection, billing systems, and service delivery mechanisms. “These areas have become focal points as the city embraces accountability and strives towards responsible governance.”
The local government sector continues to be dogged by malfeasance and graft that has resulted in billions of rand wasted on fruitless, wasteful, unauthorised expenditure each year, affecting the delivery of basic services such as potable water, electricity, clinics and refuse collection.
The worsening situation has spurred the government to focus the second phase of Operation Vulindlela on fixing councils. Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the Treasury and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office started in 2020.
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