STELLENBOSCH – A special council meeting will be held by the DA-led Stellenbosch Municipality this week to start the process of an internal investigation into the allegation of constructive dismissal, bullying or any other infringement on workplace rights.
This according to Stellenbosch executive mayor Jeremy Fasser. In a statement released on Wednesday 3 September, Fasser said he found enough reason to look into these allegations after a video of an internal meeting surfaced on X (formerly Twitter). It is believed the meeting was held in 2023.
The video features senior municipal officials discussing candidates for a vacant post and was posted online on Tuesday 2 September.
In the video a municipal official, identified as Alexander Kannemeyer, the municipality’s human resources manager, comments that he is concerned that many director positions within the institution is held by white men, something he believes sets back transformation.
He continues to comment that in many cases white men seem to have the best scores when applying for positions, something with which he seemingly disagrees.
There has been an outcry from opposition parties, civil society organisations and the public, labelling the comments racist and discriminatory.
Various organisations including Solidarity and AfriForum have since indicated their intentions to investigation the recording.
Stellenbosch Municipality confirmed that although Kannemeyer was on the panel, he did not have a vote in the eventual hiring and only acted as an advisor on the appointment.
Municipal spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar confirmed the vacancy under discussion was ultimately filled by the successful candidate, who remains in the post today.
According to Fasser, race-based bullying, or bullying of any kind, has no place in any workplace. “The constitutional values of fairness and dignity must be upheld, and all appointments should be based on merit and competence. We will never condone the behaviour at the heart of these allegations and we are committed to building a South Africa free from any forms of discrimination and racial bias,” he pointed out.
DA national spokespersons, MPs Willie Aucamp and Karabo Khakhau, said the party is deeply concerned about the video. “The DA draws a clear line between party and state. We do not engage in cadre deployment, and expect a competent, independent civil service to implement our policies where we govern. Therefore, we expect DA-governed municipalities to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the constitutional values of fairness and dignity, and the DA policy,” they said in a statement.
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