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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is opposing cadre deployment in Gamagara municipality following the hiring of former ANC councillors, whose appointments come at a direct cost to service delivery.

The three latest appointments to raise eyebrows include those of Dineo Seetile, who previously served as Speaker, into the position of Disaster Manager; Abel Booysen, a previous Ward 2 councillor, into the position of Disaster Officer; and Monica Orpen, a previous Ward 3 councillor, into the position of Senior Housing Officer. The majority councillors, with the exception of the DA, approved these appointments late on the 27th of January 2022 and they were already effective from the beginning of February 2022.

The municipality is now spending an additional R2 million on salaries for these three appointees yet crucial vacancies for plumbers, millwrights and electricians have to go unfilled because of budget constraints.

This is once again a blatant attempt to look after party loyalists and not residents of Gamagara, who are pleading for basic services.

The DA voted against the appointments and is particularly opposed to the positions of Disaster Manager, which comes with a salary R844 125 and Disaster Officer, with a salary of R567 148. The municipality at this stage cannot afford such appointments. It therefore makes more sense to manage disasters on an ad hoc basis and instead allow the savings of R1.3 million to be utilised if a disaster were to occur. The municipality could also look at working on a combined disaster plan in conjunction with the mines.

The DA has submitted a letter to the Municipal Manager, Mr Protea Leserwane, questioning the appointments. We specifically want to know when and where the positions were advertised, when the successful applicants applied, how many applications were received, when screening and shortlisting of candidates was done and what qualifications the latest appointees have.

DA constituency head of Kalahari, Willie Aucamp, has also reported the matter to COGHSTA MEC, Bentley Vass, and requested an investigation into the appointments.

We have recently seen how cadre deployment by the ANC collapsed state institutions and enabled state capture and we will do everything in our power to stop a repeat of this in Gamagara municipality.

Issued by DA Caucus Leader in Gamagara municipality, Henriette du Plessis, Cllr