Court condemns political interference in municipal manager's appointment

Abstract

Amathole District Municipality, a municipality controlled by the African National Congress (ANC), advertised the position of municipal manager. The recruitment process was subject to the municipality’s Recruitment Policy, in which the municipality binds itself to fair and transparent recruitment procedures. This judgment deals with the appointment of a municipal manager in a district municipality. It contains the strongest signal yet that the law condemns the practice of appointing municipal managers on the basis of political affiliation rather than suitability for the post.