BCM’S recruitment process must be meticulous

Buffalo City Metro is likely to have a new municipal manager soon, six months after the departure of Andile Sihlahla. In their quest to turn around the fortunes of our metro, the city fathers have offered the job to Mxolisi Yawa, who is currently a boss in Senqu local municipality. While Yawa is yet to sign on the dotted line, we welcome the news that he has been offered the job. Senqu has been a shining example of how accountability is expected to work in local authorities.

In a sea of scandals and corruption in municipalities, Senqu has received clean audit outcomes five years in a row and Yawa has been part of that journey.

For some time BCM has been notorious for its pothole-riddled roads, raw sewage flowing down streets, poor billing system, areas going for weeks without water, theft of infrastructure so rampant that it tops the national list for it, and motorists doing as they please with impunity.

With these failures of governance in mind, securing the services of the province’s best performer will be a master stroke for the troubled metro. It will bring hope to ratepayers that they may finally see a smoothrunning municipality.

However, the recruitment processes for Yawa should be done properly.

Councillors, including mayor Xola Pakati, should not drop the ball on a such good prospect by mishandling it, as this would muddy the waters and start off on a really bad footing what may be the kind of appointment BCM residents have long wished for.

On Wednesday we reported that BCM opposition councillors raised their objections in the meeting that agreed to offer Yawa the job.

At the heart of it, it seems, was that opposition parties were not given a chance to scrutinise the process that appointed Yawa, as they only received the report on the day of the meeting.

This leads them to worry that something fishy is going on with the appointment. And rightly so, for what could be the reason for such unseemly and unprofessional behaviour?

From the first moment, the recruitment process must be completely transparent to scupper any suspicions.

The metro has had enough drama over its municipal managers. Its finances are looking increasingly messy. It needs an experienced administrator to turn the tide. Although he is from a much smaller municipality, on paper Yawa seems to be the right man for the job.

If he accepts the offer, politicians must allow him to replicate what he has been doing in Senqu without undue influence.

From the first moment, the recruitment process must be completely transparent to scupper any suspicions