Nhlanhla Mdakane’s future as KwaDukuza municipal manager is hanging in the balance after he allegedly provided himself with four security guards without the council’s approval.

The report on the hiring of his security is expected to be tabled at the council meeting on Thursday, where councillors will interrogate him on where he got the approval.

Ironically, the report is said to have been demanded by the ANC caucus, which had supported his re-employment in 2022.

An ANC councillor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that although his party supported Mdakane’s renewal of his contract in 2022, the issue of his security never arose because, to be provided with security, there would have been a threat assessment report on his life.

He (the councillor) said since there is no council resolution to provide Mdakane with security, his security provision constitutes a breach and he must be held accountable for it.

He stated that the municipal manager was not only using guards but also a municipality vehicle as a backup, which follows him wherever he goes.

He explained that since the manager falls under the category of employees who have car allowances, the use of the municipality vehicles was also supposed to be approved by the council.

“We are anxious to see the report tomorrow, especially his explanation of how he obtained the approval to hire the security and use the municipal vehicles without us having approved it,” said the source. 

Mdakane is said to have acquired security in 2017 during the tenure of the late mayor Ricardo Mthembu. It is not clear whether the council at that time approved the provision of his security detail.

ActionSA councillor Halalisani Ndlovu confirmed that there is a council meeting tomorrow (Thursday), and the issue of the manager’s report is on the agenda.

He said since there is no council resolution, his party is more interested in getting to know how much the municipality has paid for Mdakane’s security, which he said constituted an irregular expenditure.

Ndlovu said, unlike the executive directors who are permanent, the municipal manager could not have carried over his benefits, such as security and the use of the municipal vehicles, when his contract was renewed by the current council in 2022.

“Since we know that the council did not approve his security, the ActionSA will want the municipality to recoup all the money since it constituted a wasteful expenditure,” said Ndlovu.

Mdakane had not yet responded to the questions sent to him. Attempts to get the municipality comment were unsuccessful.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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