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Polokwane - Willy Kekana, the embattled municipal manager of Mogalakwena, in Limpopo, has been dismissed after he was found guilty on 19 charges of misconduct, including paying salaries to sacked councillors.
Kekana was suspended in December 2014 by incumbent mayor Tlhalefi Mashamaite.
“The dismissal of Kekana follows the suspension on December 3 2014 after the disciplinary hearings were concluded on March 23 2015,” the municipality's spokesperson Malesela Selokela said on Wednesday.
“The council resolved that position of the municipal manager be advertised with immediate effect.
Kekana will be instructed to hand in all municipal property in his possession within seven days.
“Chief amongst other charges include: Fruitful and wasteful expenditure which resulted in paying salaries to the 23 expelled councillors, irregular expenditure and failure to act in the best interest of the municipality,” said Selokela.
Kekana was also accused of defying the Public Finance Guideline, which compels accounting officer to comply with Auditors General during the 2012/13 financial years.
In July last year, the ANC dismissed councillors after they were found guilty of colluding with opposition parties to unseat Mashamaite.
However, the councillors continued to receive salaries and report for duty.
They believed that they were victimised for fighting corruption and accused their organisation of eroding its principles of fighting corruption.
Mashamaite was removed by councillors in 2013 and replaced by Yster Mabuela, however, within 12 months Mashamaite returned and declared that he was still the mayor.
The battle to re-occupy the office ended after Mashamaite was endorsed by Co-operative Governance MEC Makoma Makhurupetje in November.
