A Tshwane Metro Police officer previously implicated in allegations relating to the awarding of a contract for the supply and monitoring of CCTV surveillance cameras in the city, has been appointed acting chief of the service.
The appointment of Steve Ngobeni was confirmed at a council meeting that went into committee on Thursday. This was the first time in about 10 years that the municipality had gone into committee to discuss an agenda item on its monthly meeting.
Omega Risk Solutions filed a court application last year claiming that the winning bidder, Morubisi Technologies, had been awarded the contract unfairly as a result of improper interference by Ngobeni. But Ngobeni – who was then the director for protective services in the Tshwane community safety department – was found not to have interfered with the tender.
Thursday’s decision by the municipality comes two days after ANC MPs used their majority in the National Assembly to approve the Protection of State Information Bill.
In an unprecedented move, Speaker Morakane Mosupye ordered that the public and officials’ gallery be cleared.
Mosupye also ordered that Tshwane Metro Police officers in plain clothes be posted at the doors as political parties caucused before the items were discussed.
The agenda items dealt with, among other things, the appointment of deputy city managers; the implementation of the remuneration framework for senior council officials; and recommendations that Ngobeni be appointed acting metro police chief until further notice.
The municipality has been taking steps to fill the position.
The mayoral committee member for community safety, Terrence Mashego, said suspended senior metro police officer Director Ndumiso Jaca was among the candidates interviewed for the job.
Mashego declined to say if Jaca was the preferred candidate for the position.
“There are no preferred candidates for the position,” he said.
Arguing that the items be discussed in committee, executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said the three reports were of a “sensitive nature”.
Some of the officials involved in the reports were sitting in the gallery in the council chamber, he added.
It was preferable that the reports be discussed in committee, Ramokgopa said.
Asked why the item on the appointment of city manager Jason Ngobeni, who took over on September 1, had not been discussed in committee, Ramokgopa said Ngobeni had been an external candidate, whereas the others were internal candidates.
The DA caucus leader, Janho Engelbrecht, said his party conceded that some items dealt with staffing issues and salaries, “but the public need to know about the appointment of these very senior city council officials”.
Engelbrecht said: “Their salaries will be paid with public funds.”
The DA was not happy that metro police officers were asked to stand guard at the doors while political parties were caucusing.
It was also irked that parties were expected to go through the items within 30 minutes, Engelbrecht said.
Cope councillor Andries Keun commented: “We fail to see why these reports were discussed in committee.”
In a statement issued after the meeting, the municipality announced that current strategic executive director: roads and public transport Lisa Mangcu had been appointed deputy city manager: programme management.
Other appointments include those of Mokgokela Boshielo as deputy city manager: service delivery and operations, Lindiwe Kwele as deputy city manager: strategic development and implementation, and Obed Thenga as chief audit executive.
Council spokesman Pieter de Necker said that Boshielo was the head of department at Rand Water, and Kwele the chief executive officer of the Johannesburg Tourism Company.
Thenga is working at the SAPS as its chief audit executive.
De Necker said a further report was accepted by the council in which the positions of various municipal officials were confirmed in the newly aligned and council-approved macro organisational structure.
The positions include strategic executive directors and heads of departments, “as well as the seven regional executive directors”. - Pretoria News