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The ANC’s MEC for local government in the Eastern Cape has justified the deployment of a cadre with a consistent record of failure to a new position. MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane has responded to a DA enquiry about the matter with an answer that redefines the concept of cluelessness.

Siphiwo Sohena is an ANC cadre who has been appointed to a succession of important jobs despite highly questionable results. He first rose to prominence as the head of Human Resources in the Nelson Mandela Metro in 2004. He was suspended after a scandal involving his purchase of golf shirts at R560 apiece. He left with a golden handshake.

He was then appointed as municipal manager of the Sundays River Valley Municipality, at that time one of the best run in the Eastern Cape. Within two years the municipality was bankrupt and he was sacked, facing 11 charges of gross misconduct and mismanagement. After party political infighting the ANC reinstated him. Unhappy residents took this decision to court and the court confirmed the sacking, awarding costs against Sohena.

I first brought the matter to Parliament’s attention when I heard that, following his sacking, Sohena had been appointed by the Eastern Cape Provincial Administration to head up Operation Clean Audit.

The matter was also discussed during Minister’s Questions in the house. Minister Sicelo Shiceka promised the matter would be investigated and we heard no more. The result of this investigation appears to have been another promotion for Mr Sohena.

The latest deployment of this cadre is as acting municipal manager of Mbhashe municipality. When questioned about this by the DA’s Dacre Haddon MPL, Eastern Cape MEC for local government Mlibo Qoboshiyane replied, in part, “... he has proven to have the required capacity and capabilities that are required (sic) to act in the position of municipal manager”.

I will be asking a question in Parliament as to which aspects of Mr Sohena’s record constitute the required capacity and capabilities for a municipal manager. The Minister should tell us whether these include:
A history of flouting tender procedures and of signing contracts illegally;
A proven record of running up costs involving damage to at least 4 vehicles rented at municipal expense;
A history of signing office lease agreements without authorisation;
A record of attending unnecessary workshops and meetings in the big cities, flying there in business class and staying in expensive five-star hotels;
A record of driving municipalities into bankruptcy.
The Minister should tell us what he considers to be the required capabilities and capacity for appointment as a municipal manager and whether he approves of Mr Sohena’s appointment.

As a bonus it would be nice to know what hold Mr Sohena has over the ANC in the Eastern Cape that guarantees him continued employment.

This case proves two things: that the ANC’s cadre deployment policy dooms municipal government to failure, and that cadre deployment is still being practiced even when all evidence points to it being inappropriate.