Durban - A senior official in eThekwini municipality’s Parks and Recreation Department has written to mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, Speaker Thabani Nyawose and others to seek their intervention in what he termed “abuse of power” by the Chief Whip councillor of the Community and Emergency Cluster who is not named.
In his letter dated March 28, 2023, Ernest Webster Shozi, the deputy head of Libraries and Heritage allegeddue to the conduct of the ANC councillor, officials were now reluctant to appear before the committee because they were verbally abused.
“I have observed over a period of time a pattern of choreographic attack on the integrity of the leadership of our unit to a point that some senior managers when delegated as permitted in our local government system of corporate delegation, are uncomfortable to attend committee meetings because they will be subjected to personal attacks and humiliation,” Shozi wrote in the letter.
Shozi claimed the working relationship between some of them in the senior management of PRC and some in the leadership of the committee had become irretrievable to a point that it was now impacting service delivery.
Giving a background of what broke the camel’s back, Shozi said on March 26 there was a meeting at Moses Mabhida stadium to discuss budget issues.
He said he extended an apology since he could not attend the meeting because of a family emergency that needed his urgent attention.
He alleged he was later told by officials the ANC politician made a disparaging remark to the effect it was becoming a common occurrence for him to absent himself.
“I had assumed that my apology would be viewed from compassion and ubuntu point of view, to my disappointment, I was told by my colleagues who were present in that meeting that the Chief Whip of our CEC Cluster made an outrageous, ill-informed, unsubstantiated, and ill-founded assertion that I have tendencies of not attending committee meetings or I leave before the conclusion of the business of such meetings.
“On Monday, March 27, 2023, I wrote an SMS to Chief Whip requesting her to clarify her assertion she made at that meeting so that I can be afforded the opportunity to respond to the allegations, to date no response has been forthcoming from her. I wanted the opportunity to be able to express my side to her in line with the audi alteram partem principle.
“It is quite clear that the Chief Whip of the CEC’s intention was attempting to character assassinate my reputation and project me as a delinquent official who acts in an irresponsible manner.
“I view the assertions by the Chief Whip in a serious light because they are baseless and based on shameless lies, which are being concocted to tarnish my reputation,” Shozi wrote in his letter.
Shozi said it was surprising how a politician would reach such a conclusion about him when she was fairly new in the committee.
“I was indeed taken aback by this personal attack on my character by the Chief Whip who has not even spent a month in our Committee to enable her to make such a conclusion about my character, even if she were to try to manufacture such claim of non-attendance of meetings by myself, she would have struggled to present credible case, because it does not exist.
“This attack on my standing was made in full view of other colleagues from other business units, worse of all in the present of my junior staff members.
“Unless if the Chief Whip had been briefed by someone, she would have to be debriefed because her brief is based on shameless lies that sort (sic) to create division than unity of purpose among cadres of the democratic movement who are deployed in administration and political office.
“I have raised all these matters because there is a growing culture that has emerged within our committee to target individuals within the management of PRC, including to reject reports with factual evidence.
“I can say without fear of contradiction that I’m being targeted for reasons best known to those who are targeting me and the unit head,” Shozi said.
Towards the end of the letter, Shozi said he has “taken a decision to make a choice whether to submit or fight!”
Kaunda’s spokesperson, Mluleki Mntungwa, said the mayor had not yet received Shozi’s letter.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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