Durban – A former municipal manager of eDumbe (Paulpietersburg) local municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal has been nominated for a top post in the nearby and equally struggling uPhongolo local municipality despite his shady past.
Thabo Putini’s reputation took a knock in December 2019 when the Pietermaritzburg High Court shredded him for allegedly taking advantage of a junior official, a housing clerk in the municipality, to sign off a R3.5 million golden handshake.
The golden handshake was for him to amicably part ways with the municipality after he was repeatedly suspended after being accused of a litany of mismanagement allegations – which were never ventilated in court.
NEWS: A former municipality manager of eDumbe who was found by the Labour Court in Durban to have duped a junior housing clerk to sign a dubious R3.5 million settlement deal, which was later set aside, is set to notch a top post in the UPhongolo local municipality, KZN. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 20, 2022
What was ventilated in court and ruled upon was his alleged abuse of authority – he asked the junior clerk to represent the municipality and authorise the offer of R3.5m.
That was in 2011 when there was a change of political guard after the IFP was defeated by the NFP-ANC coalition.
The matter was fought in court for years and was only concluded in 2019. According to the court judgment, Putini was awarded a settlement of R480 000, which amounted to the salary he would have earned for nine months if his contract had not been unfairly terminated.
“Mr Putini brought an application to enforce the ‘settlement agreement’ in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court. The municipality, by way of counter-application, sought an order setting aside the settlement agreement on the grounds of unlawfulness, as Mr Makoba (its duly authorised representative) was only authorised to enter into a settlement agreement in relation to the upliftment of Mr Putini’s suspension and his reinstatement. In other words, Mr Makhoba was not authorised to enter into any agreement to pay the sum of R3.5m or any amount to Mr Putini as part of the settlement agreement.
“As it turned out, Mr Makhoba was a junior officer in the housing office. Accordingly, the high court found that the settlement agreement had not been properly authorised and dismissed the application. Mr Putini applied for leave to appeal against this decision. Leave to appeal was refused by both the high court and the Supreme Court of Appeal. The argument advanced by the municipality in the high court was that as a previous head of the administration, Mr Putini would have been aware that specific authority was required and that it was clear from its resolution, of May 31, 2011, that it was never its intention that he should be paid R3.5m. In short, the municipality contended that Mr Putini had abused the lack of knowledge of Mr Makhoba, whom he was aware was a housing clerk,” the Labour Court later, in a separate case, remarked regarding the R3.5m handshake.
Despite all this, three years later, Putini has been recommended to take the vacant position of director of corporate services in the uPhongolo municipality.
The recommendation that he should take the position despite his shady past where he was implicated in a KPMG report, came from a committee of the IFP which is believed to be tasked with making recommendations for top appointments in municipalities won in November last year.
A letter allegedly sent by Dr Ali Mokoena, who is the chief operating officer of the IFP, read: “Dear Ma’m … following your email this morning, the following candidates are recommended for the respective positions. Ngcobo KWG – chief financial officer, AMT Putini – corporate services. Yours in struggle.”
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa dismissed suggestions that the party was emulating the ANC by practising cadre deployment, which locks out the best candidates in favour of the politically connected ones.
He said the party merely made recommendations.
“The IFP does not have a cadre deployment policy nor does the party practice it; where the party is consulted it merely offers merit recommendations which are subject to the municipality performing due diligence on the candidates,” he said.
He said his party was not aware of the judgment against Putini.
“The IFP is not aware of the judgment, and accordingly it will inform the municipality to assist it in making an informed and legal appointment, understanding that recruitment is a municipal function and not a party function.”
Efforts to locate Putini to get his comment on the matter were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
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