Durban — In order to maintain professionalism in the municipalities, senior municipal employees should not contest political positions, the South African Local Government Association in KwaZulu-Natal says.
In a media briefing in Durban on Wednesday, the Salga provincial leadership unpacked the state of municipalities.
The entity said the amendments to the Systems Act were championed by Salga and were intended to professionalise local government by disallowing municipal employees from holding political office. However, the court had rejected the move.
Salga KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Thami Ntuli said the intention was not to deprive municipal workers of having a political view or partaking in political party programmes, but rather to enhance professionalism within the municipalities
Ntuli, who is also King Cetshwayo District Municipality mayor and IFP provincial chairperson. said mayors and other senior political office bearers were finding it difficult to manage or work with senior managers who might have influenced their appointments because outside the municipalities, they also held senior political positions in their respective parties.
He said Salga’s effort to professionalise municipalities were thwarted when the court had rejected the move to block senior managers from holding political positions.
“In 2023, the depoliticisation of municipal employees suffered a heavy blow. Municipalities are very peculiar organisations and the Systems Act amendment sought to enhance professionalisation. In an ideal environment, no public servants would hold both political and administrative office.
“By permitting municipal workers to hold political positions, the High Court ruling in November 2023 was a blow to the agenda to depoliticise and professionalise the public service.”
Ntuli said Salga would continue to engage the South African Municipal Workers Union and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union to get a consensus on how to depoliticise local government.
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