PORT ELIZABETH - COGTA NOT GOING TO INVESTIGATE APPOINTMENT OF NEW NMBM SAFETY AND SECURITY HEAD

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Eastern Cape says they are not launching an investigation around the appointment of former Correctional Services boss Linda Mti as Nelson Mandela Bay’s head of safety and security.

The former World Cup 2010 security boss will ultimately be at the helm of heading up the city’s new metro police service.

COGTA provincial spokesperson, Mamnkeli Ngam, dismissed reports claiming that the department would launch an investigation into which legal processes were followed prior to Mti’s appointment.

Late on Monday afternoon, Democratic Alliance provincial leader Athol Trollip issued a statement and welcomed an announcement that Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance MEC Fikile Xasa had agreed to the DA’s request to investigate the appointment of Mti.

The DA has called his appointment by Executive Mayor Danny Jordaan “irregular and un-procedural”.

Trollip is calling for Mti to be suspended with immediate effect.

However, Ngam told African News Agency (ANA) that reports from another media house were incorrect.

“We never said we are going to investigate. Why would we investigate? We will contact the leadership in Nelson Mandela Bay and we are following the matter up,” said Ngam.

He explained when there is an appointment of a senior manager there is always correspondence between that specific municipality and COGTA.

“What I am saying is that we have not received the letter of correspondence from the metro, it could still be in the mail. When MEC Xasa receives the letter, he then applies his mind and goes through the documentation to see if necessary processes were followed correctly, he is guided by the Municipal Systems Act of 2000. So we are not launching an investigation, we are still waiting to receive correspondence from the metro,” he said.

VIA - iol.co.za