25/08/2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25 August 2024
STATEMENT BY THE ANC CAUCUS IN THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN ON THE UNFAIR DISMISSAL OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT: 25 August 2024
As the ANC Caucus in the City of Cape Town we strongly condemn the unfair dismissal of the Executive Director of Urban Waste Department, Luzuko Mdunyelwa. We view this as a reckless and politically motivated decision.
His dismissal will further destabilize the already struggling waste management department, putting the health and well-being of our communities at risk.
The ED was the best performing Executive Director the previous financial year, but a year later, he is unfairly dismissed for incompetency.
Under his leadership, the department had begun to address the city’s waste management challenges and his expertise and commitment in this role was invaluable.
In the middle of 2023 the executive director was stripped off all the delegated powers in terms of the act and those powers were placed in the office of the City Manager, which made it difficult for him to take decisions on the projects.
The Executive Directors report and are accountable to the City Manager who must play an oversight role to ensure that projects are implemented timeously and without hindrances. The decision has caused more constraints in terms of service delivery within Urban Waste Management Directorate.
The residents in Cape flats and townships were without proper service delivery of refuse collections and other services. In the year 2023 many communities remained dirty and filthy, refuge was not collected for weeks and this remains the status quo until to date.
The Siyazenzela Project in areas like Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Langa was the project of the MMC for Urban Waste, Ald Grant Twigg, and the month-to-month contract which he implemented did not rescue the dire situation of destruction of services in the townships.
The MMC would not have taken such drastic decision on his own without the knowledge and consent of the Executive Mayor and City Manager. Therefore we are of the view that other people were involved in the decision making which now leaves only the ED to take the bullet.
The ANC and AL – JAMA – AH voted against the unfair dismissal of the ED. Equally, the ANC is calling for the investigation of the conduct of others involved in the failure of this very critical department.
END
Issued by: Cllr Banele Majingo – Leader of Opposition
0766717129
Cllr Petronella Heynes – Chief Whip
0795665772
For enquiries:
Cllr Judy-Ann Stevens – Spokesperson
0764818770
Cllr Lwazi Phakade
0631686288
