The DA-led coalition government in the City of Johannesburg has gone ahead and reversed a decision that saw more than 120 political support staff appointed permanently last year.
The decision to appoint support staff permanently was taken by the ANC-led government under former mayor Geoff Makhubo.
The move will see about 120 support staff employed in the offices of the mayor, mayoral committee members and in council jobless.
The resolution of the ANC converted fixed-term contracts into permanent status and ensured the political support staff retained their jobs even after the official's political term of office ends.
One of the affected employees, who declined to be named, said they were looking at legal options available to them.
“It's a mess,” the worker said.
“People signed their conversion letters and received confirmation of permanent employment.”
"[We] took bonds, got cars, utilised savings. It’s a mess.”
Another worker said he had been viewing property when he heard of the council resolution.
“I was in the midst of looking for a house to buy when this happened. A lot of us made commitments because the minute you see permanent, you make changes. There are lots of gaps to fill because you had been guaranteed a lifetime of employment. We've been given a sharp curve,” the worker said.
ANC caucus leader Mpho Moerane accused the multiparty coalition of being opportunistic and vindictive.
“They are the ones undermining city processes in order to sustain their flimsy, unprincipled coalition by firing young people in order to dish out jobs to their political party members. The conversion of contracts of junior and non-strategic staff in political staff was done in terms of city-approved policies and the staff establishment framework delegations to the executive mayor,” Moerane said.
“We also note this matter was raised by the DA, through Leah Knott and attorneys in February 2021. The executive mayor responded accordingly and the threatened legal action against the process did not materialise.
“Therefore, it is deceitful for them to say they did not know of conversion. The current coalition government is simply using its majority to punish young and majority black professionals and administrators.”
In a statement, Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse labelled the decision by the ANC to convert fixed-term contract workers to permanent staff members “an attempt to hijack private or political offices”.
Phalatse said it was accepted and prudent practice that employment in political offices was linked to the term of office of the elected principal, whether they complete their term or not.
“This practice allows for office bearers to employ a cohort of personnel dedicated to achieving service delivery objectives in line with the electoral mandate.
“The previous administration's intention to permanently employ their own in these term-based offices is nothing more than an application of cadre deployment, a vile practice that featured prominently as an instrument of state capture,” she said.
The employees would have cost the city R59m a year.
Phalatse said the proposed permanency of the political employees meant that the multiparty government was unable to appoint its own pool of staff in a political official, who align with the electoral outcome.
“It is no brainer that a political strategy and programme that is driven by officials who do not share the same values as the multiparty government will have far-reaching implications for good governance and service delivery. This is untenable and it proves that the ANC wanted to increase its political footprint in the municipality and rule from the grave through these officials,” Phalatse said.
Prior to Friday’s council decision to rescind the permanency of the employees, the multiparty coalition obtained a legal opinion from Maisels Chambers, dated January 31, that found the conversion of fixed-term contracts to permanent, was “ultra vires and therefore invalid and unenforceable”.
The legal opinion also found that: “On the issue of converting political office appointees on a fixed-term contract to permanent, there are the hallmarks of opportunism and underhanded conduct.”
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