Right 2 Justice has written to Free State Premier Mxolisi Dukwana, as well as mayor Gregory Nthatisi, the speaker of the council and other officials of the metro, in a bid to challenge the recent re-employment of Sello More as municipal manager.
More is the former Mangaung Metro municipal manager in Bloemfontein. He has been brought back to the helm of the metro's operations as its MM for a second term.
The surprise return of More, who was voted out during a motion of no confidence in the council in 2021 was announced on Thursday on October 19, 2023.
More was unveiled by the mayor during the announcement of new members of the Mayoral Committee with the mayor indicating that Nthatisi would return to his former position to bring wealth of experience back into the municipality that is a shadow of its former self due to service delivery challenges in recent years.
This in spite of a 2021 Free State High Court Judge ruling which found his employment as MM as being “procedurally unfair”.
The letter, dated November 17 which “The Star” has seen and which is communicated by R2J through its lawyers, Ga Seriti Legal, indicates that More was returned to his former position following a stint as director of waste management.
“It is our instruction that on or about 01 November 2023, Mr Sello More was appointed by the Metropolitan municipality of Mangaung in Bloemfontein to effectively serve as the official municipality manager.
“This appointment comes just after two years ago on the 15th of December 2021, where a judgement was passed by Judge AJ Van Rhys in the Bloemfontein High Court, where he had ordered Mr More to be removed from the position of municipal manager as he was found to have been appointed procedurally unfairly.
“Mr More was then removed from his position as MM in January 2022 and demoted to his previous position to serve as a director in the waste management department,” reads parts of the letter by R2J lawyers.
R2J said the high Court judgement remained in effect and that More’s appointment was “procedurally unfair” which was why it had decided to involve the lawyers in a bid to get the mayor to reverse his decision.
“We once again find ourselves presented with the same predicament as our client believes that the recent appointment of Mr More to once again serve as a municipal manager still is procedurally unfair and therefore is in violation of the regulations on the appointment of and conditions of service for senior managers,” the lawyers said.
More told “The Star” that the allegations are against him were the work of mischief.
“First, I am not even sure if you are a journalist. But in simple terms, your questions smack of mischief and are disingenuous. All these questions should be directed to the council, the responsible MEC and the interview panel.
“I see the same questions directed to me are all over Bloemfontein. Which further emphasises the mischief that I allege. In fact this lacks journalistic ethics, which makes me further doubt if you are a bona fide journalist,” More said.
R2J demanded that the municipality comply with the high court ruling which found against More, and for the metro to comply within five days before it took legal action.
“We have thus been instructed to demand for the compliance of the provisions as provided above and proof that Mr More’s appointment satisfies the requirements set out above. We further demand that the Council reconsider the appointment of the HOD as its gross irregularity and these appointments must be cancelled and re-advertised.”
Saturday Star