City faces showdown over employee

THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has until today to rectify the situation of a senior employee who was moved out of her job and paid R92000 a month to do nothing. If it fails to act, it faces legal action.

The looming legal showdown between the municipality and a former strategic manager in the office of then deputy mayor Nancy Sihlwayi comes after Sihlwayi's redeployment by the ANC in March last year.

Nobuntu Makapela was originally appointed by Sihlwayi. But Sihlwayi's successor, deputy mayor Chippa Ngcolomba, removed Makapela in April from his office and instructed the corporate service directorate to find her another job.

Makapela took the municipality to arbitration, complaining to the SA Local Government Bargaining Council that she had been unfairly dismissed. After a hearing, the municipality was ordered in September to reinstate her and pay her four months' salary.