Disciplinary proceedings against suspended uMngeni-uThukela Water executive Sibusiso Madonsela should be allowed to take their natural course, says the CEO of the water utility, Sandile Khoza.
Khoza has filed an affidavit opposing an urgent application, set down to be argued in the Pietermaritzburg high court on Monday.
Madonsela was suspended a year after he refused to “okay” an expensive “sponsorship” for a colleague, Zandile Mhlongo, to run the 2024 New York Marathon.
But Khoza then approved the trip, which, according to reports, cost more than R125,000 for her first-class flights and more than R77,000 for her accommodation at a hotel on Times Square.
Khoza, in his affidavit, claims that costs of the trip shot up ― and he blames Madonsela for this — by “unlawfully” making a final decision not to agree to the sponsorship, when that was his decision to make.
Madonsela denies this. He says in terms of his powers he could only make a recommendation, and that is what he did. He did not usurp Khoza’s powers, nor was he “insubordinate” as Khoza claimed.
Madonsela says the charges against him are ill-founded, trumped up and part of a campaign by Khoza to get rid of him.
He says as part of this campaign, most of his duties had been removed, and he has been sitting idly in his office, doing very little for months.
The very decision to consider suspending me based on a year-old event is itself irrational as it is an abuse of power. It was taken a year later without affording me sufficient opportunity to explain the reasons expressed in the recordal.
— Sibusiso Madonsela, suspended uMngeni-uThukela Water executive
In his replying affidavit ― filed in response to Khoza’s opposing affidavit ― he says Khoza had not addressed his ulterior purpose submissions, but had just dealt with them by way of “crass and bare denials”.
Madonsela declined to authorise the sponsorship application in October last year.
A year later, he was given a notice of intent to suspend him and a day later frog-marched out of the office.
He says: “The very decision to consider suspending me based on a year-old event is itself irrational as it is an abuse of power. It was taken a year later without affording me sufficient opportunity to explain the reasons expressed in the recordal.”
Khoza, in his affidavit, persists with his claim that Madonsela “factually instructed the corporate stakeholder manager” ― albeit verbally ― to advise Mhlongo that her sponsorship had been declined.
The matter only came to his attention when Mhlongo appealed to him.
He says that in September this year, an internal audit had flagged “fruitless expenditure”.
“On inquiry, it was discovered that the delay in granting of the sponsorship meant that the flights were now more expensive.”
Khoza says Madonsela usurped his power, manipulated the corporate stakeholder manager and was then instrumental in leaks to the media regarding the sponsorship, “which he may have hoped would tarnish and discredit my reputation”.
Regarding this, Madonsela says it shows that Khoza “sees me as a threat who needs to be stamped out”.
He also says Khoza has still not explained why it took a year to act against him.
He denies instructing the stakeholder manager to communicate with Mhlongo.
Madonsela says his personal assistant had sent an email to Khoza’s office informing that he had not supported the sponsorship but leaving the final decision to Khoza.
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