City of Ekurhuleni places head of legal on precautionary suspension

The City of Ekurhuleni has placed the head of department for legal and risk services, Adv Kemi Behari on precautionary suspension with full pay.

The city confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying the decision follows the resolution of the municipal council taken on November 18 but did not explicitly give reasons behind the suspension.

“In line with Regulation 6(1) of the Disciplinary Regulations, the city manager, Mr Kagiso Lerutla, considered whether a basis existed to implement a precautionary suspension. Adv. Behari was afforded an opportunity to provide written representations in accordance with Regulation 6(2).

“After careful consideration of these representations and the applicable legislative framework, the city manager resolved to institute a precautionary suspension. The suspension has been implemented strictly in terms of Regulation 6(1), read together with sub-regulation (4) of the Disciplinary Regulations, and is further guided by Regulation 6(6)(a) and (b) regarding the duration and conditions of precautionary suspensions for senior managers.”

Adv Kemi Behari’s suspension is an interim measure intended to ensure the integrity of ongoing internal processes, protect the interests of the municipality, and uphold principles of good governance

According to Ekurhuleni’s Phakamile Mbengashe, the decision to suspend Behari is not a finding of guilt, nor does it constitute disciplinary action.

“It is an interim measure intended to ensure the integrity of ongoing internal processes, protect the interests of the municipality, and uphold principles of good governance. The city remains committed to fair, transparent, and procedurally compliant governance practices. No further details will be provided at this stage, as the matter is now the subject of an internal investigation.”

Sowetan