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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
MANGWE Rural District Council has dragged its former Chief Executive Officer to court for refusing to vacate a council house in Plumtree Town which he was using during his term of office.
The local authority filed an application at the Plumtree Magistrate’s Court for the eviction of Mr Nketha Mangoye Dlamini who resigned from his post in May last year.The matter was supposed to be heard on Thursday before Plumtree magistrate Mr Joshua Mawere but both parties were in default.
In its application, the local authority through its council chairperson, Mr Roland Mafesi Ncube, said its acting CEO was now forced to stay at a lodge in the border town as Mr Dlamini did not want to vacate the house.“Mr Dlamini was employed by Mangwe RDC from 2006 up to 30 May 2016 when he tendered in his resignation. As part of his benefits during his term of employment, he was allocated house number 479 Rangiore which is designated for the council’s CEO.
“Upon his resignation the council advised Mr Dlamini to vacate the house but he made it clear that he won’t vacate.
“This has forced us to file an application for summary judgment. The situation has forced the acting CEO to be housed in a lodge which is expensive for council,” he said.
Mr Ncube said Mr Dlamini was first issued with a three months’ notice to vacate the house but he refused to vacate saying council owed him money in outstanding salaries and benefits.
He said the council further issued summons for Mr Dlamini’s eviction but he failed to comply. Mr Ncube said councillors appointed him during a full council meeting to represent the local authority in this matter.In his response to the application, Mr Dlamini said he still had a claim to the house as he was unfairly dismissed.
“I still have a claim of right to use the house because I was unfairly dismissed. The summons which were filed were under Mr Roland Mafesi Ncube’s name who is a council chairperson.
“He didn’t have the authority to file those summons and therefore they can’t be recognised as valid,” he said.
Mr Dlamini recently dragged the local authority to the Labour Court saying he was unfairly dismissed.
The former CEO resigned immediately after he was issued with a month long suspension letter over allegations of issuing a tender for road maintenance works in an unprocedural manner to Enfund Construction Company.
Mr Dlamini said he was forced to resign because the council chairperson was intimidating and harassing him.
He said the council chairperson had created a hostile environment that had made it impossible for him to carry out his duties.
He approached the Labour Court demanding compensation for forced resignation, his outstanding salary and a package.
The Labour Court advised the local authority to meet with Mr Dlamini to discuss his benefits and outstanding salary.
– @Dube Matutu
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