
North West's Madibeng municipality appeals ruling to reinstate ‘suspended' official
The Madibeng local municipality in the North West has lodged an appeal to the high court ruling that ordered the formerly suspended municipal manager Quiet Kgatla should return to work.
Kgatla challenged his suspension and the High Court in Pretoria ruled that the suspension had expired and that Kgatla should return to duty.
The court recently ruled Kgatla's precautionary suspension had lapsed in terms of the disciplinary regulations for senior managers.
The court ruled that the municipality, along with the council speaker, the acting municipal manager and the mayor, must immediately allow Kgatla to resume his duties as a municipal manager.
ALSO READ: Nepotism claim haunts Madibeng mayor
Kgatla was put on precautionary suspension on allegations of financial misconduct after he appointed a contractor to undertake a housing building project without following the procedures this year.
The court restrained the council from continuing with disciplinary proceedings on 27 June.
The court also ordered the matter should not be discussed at the council meeting on 24 June, and instructed that all four respondents to pay the costs of the application.
Madibeng municipality appeal
In appeal papers, the municipality's legal team said the judge who granted the interdict in Kgatla' favour erred in deciding an urgent application without having considered the question of urgency at all and without having allowed the parties to argue the question of urgency.
They said the court erred in relying on an incorrect statement contained in the letter of 28 March, which made a reference to a suspension that occurred on 20 February.
READ MORE: North West's Madibeng municipal manager faces 'serious misconduct' probe
The objective facts were against this, making it not a reasonable conclusion for a court to make.
The lawyers said the court erred in entertaining the urgent application on extreme curtailed time periods, which caused recorded prejudice to the municipality, the council speaker and acting municipal manager, who were the first to third respondents respectively.
'There was no time to properly prepare and counsel for the respondents was not allowed sufficient time to argue the case. This caused procedural injustice and prejudice,' the lawyers said.
Procurement irregularities
Early this year, Kgatla was accused of irregularly appointing a contractor for a R11 million electrification of Damonsville in Brits.
It's alleged that Kgatla appointed the supplier as an emergency measure without following the tender processes, including obtaining the mayor's permission before doing so.
At the time Kgatla denied any wrongdoing, saying the whistle-blower had insufficient information and documentary proof.
He said he had to act in an emergency to appoint a new contractor after Damonsville residents embarked on a violent protest on 29 January, demanding the promised electrification.
NOW READ: Public protector launches probe into Madibeng mayor's office over crashed municipal bakkie

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
More banks to offer smart ID and passport services, says Department of Home Affairs
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said they will use digital transformation to integrate the Home Affairs IT platform onto banks' networks, thereby enabling more banks to deliver Smart ID and passport services. Image: Ntswe Mokoena/GCIS Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber on Tuesday announced that the department will increase the pilot project that currently delivers Smart ID and passport services in about 30 bank branches across the country. Presenting the R11 billion budget for the department, Schreiber said they would use digital transformation to integrate the Home Affairs IT platform onto banks' networks, thereby enabling many more bank branches to deliver the service. 'Our target for this financial year is to expand this service to at least 100 more branches,' he said during the budget debate in the National Assembly. Schreiber also said technology reform will enable South Africans to order Smart IDs and passports through their banking app, similar to when buying electricity or data. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'We will introduce the option of home delivery for Smart IDs and passports, using advanced facial recognition technology to secure the process.' Schreiber said they will rapidly accelerate access to Smart IDs with the goal of ending the production of new Green ID books by the end of this year. The minister announced plans to launch new facilities abroad to assist South Africans living and working overseas to have a five-week turnaround time for IDs and passports. 'We are starting in Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, followed by France, Germany and The Netherlands later this year, and North America in the new year.' Schreiber told the MPs that the civics service reforms will lay the foundation for the ambitious plan to create South Africa's first ever Digital ID system during this financial year. He said once all citizens and permanent residents have access to Smart IDs, their focus will shift to delivering digital versions of enabling documents that can be accessed online and on smart devices. 'Home Affairs will shortly submit a Digital ID policy to Cabinet for approval to conduct public hearings. Beyond material benefits such as clamping down on fraud and enhancing inclusion, the Digital ID system will also restore the integrity and pride of our cherished South African identity.' Schreiber further said the Public-Private Partnership project to redesign and redevelop South Africa's six busiest commercial land ports is progressing well. 'This will enable the Border Management Authority (BMA) to effectively facilitate the movement of people and goods across our ports of entry without any delay, boosting economic growth and regional trade. The approval process is currently with National Treasury and public announcements will follow.' However, Schreiber noted that despite the positive impact of the deployment of drones and other technology by the BMA, the entity remained critically underfunded. 'I will continue to make the case that it is time for us to all put our money where our mouths are by adequately capacitating the BMA.' Outlining the budget allocation for the 2025/26 year, Schreiber said the budget will increas by R321 million in 2025/26, R1.2 billion in 2026/27, and R369 million in 2027/28. 'These increases will primarily support the Border Management Authority (BMA) and the preparations for the 2026 local government elections.' The Independent Electoral Commission has been allocated an additional R885 million in 2026/27 to support the local elections. ANC MP Mosa Chabane said his party fully supported the budget that was built on the solid foundation of the sixth administration. 'Initiatives that were initiated during the administration, in some cases, limited financial resources prevented the full implementation of the programmes,' Chabane said. MK Party MP Mariam Muhammad said the department's budget was not a tool for transformation, but a plaster over a festering wound. 'It does not respond to the real urgent cries of our people. It does not heal the scars left by years of administrative injustice, dysfunctional and systemic exclusion embedded in Department of Home Affairs' failures,' Muhammad said. DA MP Nicole Bollman said the department's budget was not without its constraints. 'It reflects meaningful, measurable progress that is helping to grow our economy and create jobs. This is precisely what the Government of National Unity's apex priority demands, namely rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth through job creation,' Bollman said.

IOL News
16 hours ago
- IOL News
Portfolio Committee calls for foreign nationals to serve prison sentences in their home countries
Prisoners at Goodwood Correctional Centre during an an oversight visit. Image: Brendan Magaar/Independent Newspapers (Archives) Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, said that the committee remains concerned about the number of foreign nationals in the country's prisons, and ideally wants them to serve out their sentences in their own countries. Ramolobeng was addressing the media and stakeholders at the Peace and Security Cluster Committee Chairpersons' briefing on Monday, July 7, 2025. Ramolobeng began her address by saying that the committee is pleased with the Department of Correctional Services reviewing the Correctional Services Act, 111 of 1998, as it will allow them to provide input on areas that they believe should be amended or strengthened, including Section 73 of the Act, which deals with the management of foreign national inmates in the country's facilities. 'We heard during the budget debate that the minister indicated there were 24,000 foreign national inmates in correctional centres across the country, which costs the state R11 million per day. 'The committee is seriously concerned that our correctional facilities have so many foreign nationals, but our country has not entered into an inmate exchange programme with any country. 'We intend to review this provision specifically as it relates to the incarceration of foreign nationals. We want to provide for foreign nationals serving life sentences to serve their sentences in their countries of origin due to the costs associated with housing foreign inmates in correctional facilities,' Ramolobeng said. 'We encourage the minister to consult further with the Minister of Home Affairs regarding the intention to review this provision.' Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng. Image: GCIS Ramolobeng also addressed the remanding of detainees with bail of less than R1,000, where she said that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) reports a total of 166,008 inmates in correctional centres nationwide, comprising 104,117 sentenced inmates and 61,891 remanded detainees. 'Remand detainees are the biggest contributor to overcrowding in correctional centres. We are concerned about the staggering cost of keeping and maintaining remand detainees in correctional facilities, which costs the department R482 per day and over R13,000 monthly for each detainee. 'Taking into consideration the pressing issue of overcrowding in our correctional facilities, many remand detainees are in the centres for months and years simply because they cannot afford to pay bail, which at times is as low as R300,' Ramolobeng said. 'We cannot have a system that further perpetuates the injustices that our constitutional democracy so desperately tries to correct. It is in this context that we congratulate the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services for their efforts to undertake a feasibility study on a pilot bail fund project for remand detainees with a bail amount of R1,000. 'Although this is a band-aid to the pressing challenge of overcrowding, we trust it will, in the meantime, assist with the immediate decongestion of our facilities as we work toward a more sustainable solution while also addressing the unintended consequence of discriminating against offenders based on their socio-economic status,' Ramolobeng said. She explained that there are two legislative provisions intended to assist with managing overcrowding in correctional facilities, but in reality, they are producing very minimal results. The committee is also calling on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, as well as other key stakeholders, to take seriously its relationship with the DCS, 'because most of its challenges do not emanate from DCS not delivering on its mandate'. The committee has raised concerns about the state of correctional facilities they've witnessed during oversight visits to some of these facilities, particularly regarding the maintenance of infrastructure by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and the condition of the kitchens. 'The DCS has informed the committee that DPWI has devolved maintenance of infrastructure to the DCS. However, this is done without proportional budget allocation to DCS. DCS has informed the committee that a total of R842,125,349 was processed and paid to DWPI under the auspices of User Charges Allocation in the 2024/25 financial year,' Ramolobeng said. She stated that the committee has since resolved to request that the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure appear before the committee on 15 July 2025 to discuss this matter and other infrastructure challenges faced by DCS. [email protected]


Eyewitness News
a day ago
- Eyewitness News
Mbenenge tells tribunal that his relationship with Mengo was mutually flirtatious
JOHANNESBURG - The head of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Selby Mbenenge, has told the Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating allegations of sexual harassment against him that his relationship with High Court secretary Andiswa Mengo was a mutually flirtatious one. The judge president revealed to the tribunal that Mengo actually sent him photos of herself, prompting his compliments, but later deleted them. Mbenenge took his turn in the hot seat before the fact-finding body sitting in Sandton, Johannesburg, as it continues its misconduct probe against him. ALSO READ: - Mbenenge accuses evidence leader in his sexual harassment matter of failing to fully investigate claim - Mbenenge denies allegations that he attempted to expose himself to a junior staffer - Mbenenge says he's 'gone through a lot' since being accused of sexual harassment He said he did not feel like Mengo was uncomfortable with their conversations and said there had never been an explicit rejection of his advances. Mengo accuses the top judge of making unwanted sexual advances towards her between 2021 and 2022. However, Mbenenge said he understood her use of emojis on the social media platform, WhatsApp, to be flirty. 'I am a Xhosa man, and I know of something like, on the part of a lady, ukumutsa, is when you show interest in a lady, and in the Xhosa setup, they don't look you in the eye, bayamutsa, they look down. When somebody covers their face like this, for me, a Xhosa man, that is sufficiently flirtatious. These were flirtatious interactions.'