‘Squabble’ lands City official in hot water
City spokesperson on 'special leave'.
CHIEF Communications Officer Vukile Mathabela is the latest official at the City of uMhlathuze to be placed on special leave after a reported ‘squabble’ with a senior manager.
The official municipal spokesperson was reportedly asked to step down in March pending the outcome of an internal process.
The municipality could not confirm the reasoning for the decision and the matter has not surfaced at an Executive Committee or full Council meeting to date.
However, the Zululand Observer is in possession of a letter of grievance that Mathabela submitted to the Municipal Manager Dr NJ Sibeko in February.
In the correspondence, a fiery spat between Mathabela and Deputy Municipal Manager: Corporate Services, Mbali Ndlovu is detailed where the senior manager reportedly ‘threw papers’ at Mathabela demanding that he leave her office.
The argument was allegedly over a summons of Mathabela, which had mistakenly been sent to her address in the residential complex where both officials reside.
The altercation reportedly then moved to the hallway of the municipality in front of other Councillors and officials where, according to the letter, Ndlovu ‘screamed and shouted and tried to hit him with papers’.
In the communique, Mathabela requests that the Municipal Manager deal with the behaviour of the respective senior manager which ‘amounted to a breach of conduct’ for municipal staff.
The municipality refused to comment on Mathabela being placed on special leave when contacted by the Zululand Observer on Wednesday.
‘We neither deny nor admit to any of these issues raised. As a principle, should there be matters to be dealt with for any employee, they will be dealt with internally and not through the media,’ said Municipal Manager Dr NJ Sibeko.
Mathabela refused to comment on the issue adding the matter was an internal municipal process.
With the Zululand Observer only permitted to direct queries to Mathabela for formal responses from the City, no correspondence was received that he was ‘no longer at work’.
