Call for Urgent Business Environment Survey for Tshwane City Council

MEDIA RELEASE BY COUNCILLOR ADRIANA RANDALL: DA TSHWANE CAUCUS, 22 AUGUST 2008

The present flight of skills experienced at the Tshwane City Council threatens to paralyze effective service delivery in Pretoria.
It is of utmost importance to establish the reasons why the working environment at the council appears not to be conducive for motivated and productive working performances.

The Democratic Alliance calls on the City Council to commission an independent working environment survey to ascertain the morale, or lack thereof, of employees and to establish what factors are contributing to the spate of resignations experienced at present.

“Human resources are the council’s most precious asset. Without the human factor, no system, even if supported by the most advanced technology, can be of any use. Retaining skilled and loyal employees is a non- negotiable.” said Councillor Adriana Randall.

Racism, nepotism, poor management in general, the manner in which the Alternative Service Structure (ASD) is implemented and inadequate travelling allowances, to mention a few, are cited as possible reasons for widespread negativity among personnel.

In the light of the present exodus at the Council it is clear that time is not on our side. We need to get to bottom of this as soon as possible. An appeal is consequently made to Council to commission a survey without delay.

The DA questions the ANC-lead Council’s commitment to the “Batho Pele’ principles, which are supposed to inspire employer and employee alike. Without the political will and commitment noble ideas remain elusive dreams.

On the one hand, it is only fair to all employees to ensure positive working conditions which will benefit their performance and output. On the other, residents and tax payers of the city deserve no less than effective service delivery.

Councillor Adriana Randall (083 263 8667)

MEDIA VERKLARING DEUR RAADSLID ADRIANA RANDALL: DA TSHWANE KOUKUS, 22 AUGUSTUS 2008

Oproep om ‘n dringende besigheid omgewingsopname by die Tshwane stadsraad

Die huidige uittog van kundigheid by die Tshwane stadsraad dreig om effektiewe dienslewering in Pretoria lam te lê. Dit is uiters noodsaaklik om vas te stel waarom die werksomgewing by die raad nie bevorderlik blyk te wees vir gemotiveerde en produktiewe werksprestasie nie.

Die Demokratiese Alliansie doen ‘n oproep op die stadsraad om ‘n onafhanklike werksomgewing opname uit te voer om die moraal, of gebrek daaraan, onder werknemers te bepaal en vas te stel wat aanleiding gee tot die huidige vlaag van bedankings by die stadsraad.

“Menslike hulpbronne is die raad se belangrikste bate. Sonder die menslike faktor kan geen sisteem, selfs al word dit ondersteun deur gevorderde tegnologie, van enige nut wees nie. Die behoud van kundige en lojale werknemers is ononderhandelbaar.” het raadslid Adriana Randall gesê.

Rassisme, nepotisme, swak bestuur in die algemeen, die wyse hoe die Alternatiewe Dienste Struktuur (ADS) geimplimenteer word en ontoereikende reistoelaes, om net enkele voorbeelde te noem, word as moontlike redes aangedui vir die wydverspreide negatiwiteit onder die personeel.

Teen die agtergrond van die huidige eksodus by die stadsraad is dit duidelik dat tyd nie aan ons kant is nie. Ons moet so gou moontlik by die kern van die probleem uitkom. ‘n Oproep word dus op die raad gemaak om ‘n onafhanklike opname sonder verwyl uit te voer.

Die DA bevraagteken die ANC beheerde raad se verbintenis tot die ‘Batho Pele’ beginsels, wat veronderstel is om beide werkgewer en werknemer te inspireer. Sonder die politieke wil bly edel idees ‘n mens ontwyk.

Enersyds is dit regverdig teenoor werknemers om positiewe werkstoestande te verseker wat hul prestasie en uitsette ondersteun. Andersyds is die inwoners en belastingbetalers van die stad geregtig op effektiewe dienslewering.
Raadslid Adriana Randall ( 083 263 8667)

Tshwane Council Meeting 31 July - Corporate Services

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)