Mxube gets a word in

EMBATTLED Kouga Municipality Director of Community Services, Lungile Mxube, defied protocol last week in an attempt to clear his name by speaking exclusively to Our Times about his contentious suspension last year.
He claimed he was suspended not because he was incompetent, as was published, but because he dared to lodge a formal grievance against Mayor Robbie Dennis, whom he claimed interfered with the appointment of casual staff in Mxube‘s department.
His refusal to be influenced by Fred Dennis to award a tender, favoured by Dennis, to a waste management company in June 2008 also added to the top brass‘ discontent with him, he said.
Certain people in the municipality had malicious agendas and were adamant to destroy his good reputation, he said.
He also accused the media who blamed him for costing the ratepayers R1-million while he was on a “year‘s paid leave”.
As far as he was concerned, he said, the cost was incurred by the municipality for suspending him.
He also accused Our Times of inaccurate reporting about his salary. He said he did not earn R70000 a month as was reported.
His earned less than R49000 a month after tax and other costs were deducted, he said. The R70000 was his cost to company salary.
“By saying I earn the higher amount, you sent a message to the criminals that I‘m a rich man,” said Mxube.
Mxube had been suspended on two accounts: the first was for failing to appoint a new service provider for the Humansdorp waste site and the other because he used a municipal vehicle to transport him to the airport from his house in Aston Bay.
On the first account he claimed to have been well on his way to identifying a company, but that red tape and the many procedures he was compelled to follow, took time. He said he was suspended before the contract of the then service provider had run out.
On the second account he maintained it was common practice for municipal officials to be transported to the airport when they were on official business.
In November last year – exactly a year after his suspension – he was reinstated with only a written warning as punishment.
He now wanted to know why it took the municipality 12 months to realise he had not done anything wrong.
Refusing to discuss staff issues with the media, municipal manager, Dr Eddie Rankwana, did say he was disappointed that a senior official went to the media with his grievances.
KM protocol prohibited any official to speak directly to the media.

CINDY LIEBENBERG