DA rejects proposed municipal travel policy
Media release: Councillor Justus de Goede, DA, Tshwane. 31 July 2008
A proposal by the Mayoral Committee of the Tshwane Metro Municipality, tabled at the Council meeting of 31 July, was flatly rejected by the Democratic Alliance.
The agenda item outlined a proposed new travel and subsistence policy for the city’s public representatives and officials. Councillor Justus de Goede of the DA described the proposed policy as “provocative and unacceptable, as it proposes inter alia that the Mayor, Speaker, Chief Whip and Municipal Manager qualify for first class international air travel.
“In the current economic climate, given the state of the city’s finances and the fact that only cabinet ministers and heads of government departments in exceptional circumstances may travel first class, this is a major lapse of judgement. In addition, the proposed policy makes allowance for the partners of full-time public representatives, which includes Mayoral Committee members, to take their partners with them overseas, also in first class. Again, this is not government policy.”
De Goede added that the DA had requested that the “insensitive” proposals be reconsidered ; the DA had registered its objection against the item.
Clr Justus de Goede
Cell : 083 733 2557
DA verwerp voorgestelde reisbeleid
Media verklaring: Raadslid Justus de Goede, DA , Tshwane, 31 Julie 2008
‘n Voorstel van die Burgemeesterskomitee van die Tshwane Metro Munisipaliteit, wat gedien het by die Raadsvergadering van 31 Julie en waarin ‘n nuwe reis- en verblybeleid vir die stad se openbare verteenwoordigers en amptenare voorgestel word, is summier van die hand gewys deur die Demokratiese Alliansie.
Die agenda item verduidelik ‘n voorgestelde nuwe reis- en verblyf beleid vir die stad se openbare verteenwoordigers en amptenare. Raadslid Justus de Goede het die voorgestelde beleid beskryf as “ uitlokkend en onaanvaarbaar, aangesien daar inter alia voorgestel word dat die Burgemeester, Speaker, Hoofsweep en Munisipale Bestuurder kwalifiseer vir eersteklas vliegtuigkaartjies vir buitelandse besoeke.
“In die heersende ekonomiese klimaat en in die lig van die stad se finansiële toestand, sowel as die feit dat slegs kabinetsministers en departementshoofde, in buitengewone gevalle, toegelaat word om eersteklas internasionaal te vlieg, is dit duidelik dat hierdie voorstelle gebaseer is op besondere swak oordeel. Wat meer is, word verder voorgestel dat voltydse openbare verteenwoordigers, wat lede van die Burgemeesterskomitee insluit, ook hul metgeselle mag saamneem op buitelandse besoeke, ook eersteklas. Dit is eenvoudig nie in lyn met regeringsbeleid nie”.
De Goede voeg by dat die DA versoek het dat hierdie “onsensitiewe” voorstelle heroorweeg word. Die Party het sy beswaar teen die item aangeteken.
Raadslid Justus de Goede
Sel 083 733 2557
PART II, ITEM 9
CORPORATE AND SHARED SERVICES DEPARTMENT: STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
FY2006/2007 INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW: PERFORMANCE BONUS PHASE 1 CLOSURE REPORT
(PAGES 344-407 (358)
The first question that comes to mind when seeing this report is why it took council more than 12 months to come with said report! According to the legal binding employment contracts with officials and former officials, it clearly states that “Council should execute payment of a performance bonus 6 weeks after the assessment process has started”. This should therefore have been six weeks since end June 2007. This process only started in October 2007!
Can this lack of execution of audit function in the city not be seen as fruitless and wasteful expenditure when officials and unions take legal action against council for not honoring their side of the contracts? This could be reiterated by the fact that said officials and former officials did not receive any explanation as to the reason(s) for the delay or a timeframe for the conclusion of this issue!
The second issue that can be seen from this document, is that 11 of the 24 candidates are today no longer in the employment of the council! All 11 former officials received between 92% and 100% on their scores! As can be seen on page 348 under Category 1c, all except one is still with council! This is nearly half of senior officials in council! I am also aware of at least one of these candidates that received a score of more than 90% in this report, still in the employ of council that received an astonishing demotion to a position of no title! What does this say about the performance plans, score cards and performance agreements? We seriously need to look at it!
Well done to the City Manager and the Mayor! This must be the greatest example of how not to run a city! Either you have no use for officials that do the job well, or you do not want officials that know how to do the job! Either way, the little bit of expertise and experience that were still available to council and therefore to the benefit of the residents, are now lost to us. What or rather who are we left with?
The fact that the most resent Chief of Metro Police, Hlula Msimang received a score of 93% and the fact that his contract only expires in 2010 should state the obvious that with such a score and a contract, he could still try to make a success of the Metro Police and therefore the Safety Department. But no, the Municipal Manager and the Mayor decided we should rather terminate his contract with a probable big handshake to go with that, and re-employ the most controversial official this council ever had in his place!
It is time this council and the Mayor start to explain their decisions, because, believe it or not, this kind of behaviour does not make sense to anyone who believes in a fair, just and accountable governed city council!
Therefore the Democratic Alliance wishes to add a new recommendation, which reads as follows:
Add recommendation 10:
“ That a report be submitted to the next Council meeting containing copies of performance contracts of the City Manager and all Section 57 employees.”
COMPILED BY:
CLR KAREN MEYER
DA SPOKESPERSON: COMMUNITY SAFETY
TSHWANE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
(MOBILE: 082 3737 662)
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