Letter reveals disciplinary action against electricity head

Letter reveals disciplinary action against electricity head

The head of Electricity in eThekwini Municipality, Maxwell Mthembu, is allegedly on the verge of being suspended for failure to fire staff members in his unit who took part in the unprotected strike which crippled the metro for almost two weeks.

The strike was led by workers affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) who had demanded to be paid the same as workers in other metros.

eThekwini said it has fired more than 80 workers who took part in the strike and another 81 are attending disciplinary hearings.

“The Mercury” has seen a letter of intention to suspend in which it is alleged that Mthembu failed to act against the striking workers.

“You (Mthembu) are being investigated by the employer for the allegation of your failure to obey lawful instruction of the city manager to issue summary dismissal to Electricity employees who participated in the unprotected strike.

“That you gave misleading and contradictory information to one of the councillors of eThekwini Municipality that the strike was still on, which contradicted the city manager’s media briefing that the strike was off and also contradicted the information you presented in one of the teleconference meetings with other unit heads that your employees are back at work, which is tantamount to sabotage,” the letter said.

Mthembu could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Leader of Samwu, Xolani Dube, said: “We are aware of the letter and we are dealing with it. We have received many letters; Mthembu is one of them.”

The Mercury read out to Dube key allegations in the letter, to which he said, “I do not know how that letter got to the media, normally a letter of intent is sent to the person and the person has 48 hours to respond and we are doing that, all I can say is that Mthembu is our member and we are dealing with the matter.”

IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said this was only the beginning of the crises he believed was unfolding in the City.

“City officials are at war and they are going to be consumed with exposing each other’s wrongdoing which means service delivery is going to fall behind.

“The question is whether the Electricity department is the only department that did not dismiss workers who took part in the strike. If so, which other departments and what has happened there,” he said, adding that there are many more pressing matters worthy of such action.

DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa said, “We note the (intention to suspend) the head of electricity but we think that it is not enough. Action must be taken against anyone who perpetuates the current crisis in the municipality that has resulted in ratepayers not getting the delivery of services which they pay for.”

The Mercury