The appointment of a municipal manager at the Theewaterskloof Municipality has been declared unlawful by the Western Cape High Court.Wilfred Solomons-Johannes was appointed as the acting municipal manager in April last year after Boy Manqoba Ngubo resigned. Ngubo reportedly only served five months of his five-year contract., Bredell was concerned about the appointment process.
‘We have decided to obtain a legal opinion and to act on that. This opinion will take into account that MEC Bredell approved the appointment of Mr Solomons-Johannes as the director of community services,’ she stated. On Tuesday, however, the High Court instructed the municipality to begin a new recruitment process by 22 March. The court also cancelled Solomons-Johannes’ appointment, setting his last working day for June this year.
‘Despite a notice of opposition by the Respondents in the matter, a proposal was tabled by the legal representative of the Respondents to Senior Counsel representing the MEC to the extent of settling the matter by way of an agreement being made an Order of Court,’ says Wouter Kriel, Bredell’s spokesperson.