Stellenbosch Municipality under fire for lack of diversity

STELLENBOSCH Municipality must provide answers about why black employees and women are not advancing into top management positions. 

This is the view of a local government and African studies scholar amid allegations of stalled transformation and concerns over the continued dominance of white males in senior roles at the municipality.

The DA-led municipality has been thrust into the spotlight following a recently leaked video in which the Acting Corporate Services Director, Alexander Kannemeyer raises concerns that every time someone was appointed, the highest scorer was a white male. 

In the clip just over two minutes long, Kannemeyer is heard saying: “I think we should have the internal candidate but I will write my report to mm (municipal manager). I have a big concern that every time we appoint someone we go to the highest scorer then it's always a white male. I believe we are never going to get this organisation right (if) we have that type of attitude. We are not going to transform and we are going to struggle for years and years. What about our internal staff? I have a big concern within the infrastructure directorate where I’ve seen things happening which is very concerning to me…I have concerns that we always have whites in charge in our technical services and water services. I have a problem with that because the message we are sending to especially internal staff is that they don’t have the capability and competency. I cannot support (that). I am not the panel, I can only advise the MM.” 

“So we are not going to go for gender anymore…we work where we either make life difficult and I’m not saying it happened for the person that came in, the person resigns and afterwards we get what we want. I already told you I have a concern with what’s happening in that section.” 

Stellenbosch mayor, Jeremy Fasser on Wednesday confirmed the video was from 2023. 

He said they were instituting an internal investigation into “the allegation of constructive dismissal, bullying or any other infringement on workplace rights”. 

The DA said the party will bring a motion to terminate Kannemeyer’s acting-Directorship during Friday’s council meeting.

"This will effectively 'demote' him, while the matter undergoes investigation and commensurate disciplinary action. The DA caucus will also call for his suspension by the Municipal Manager, who has the power to do this. The DA notes that after a preliminary investigation, Mayor Fasser has found cause to begin a full internal investigation, which the Council on Friday will be asked to approve. This matter is not about transformation, employment equity or empowerment – it is about a senior staff member publicly committing to bullying and harassing people in the workplace," DA national spokesperson, Willie Aucamp said. 

However the ANC has come out in defence of Kannemeyer saying he was being misrepresented in what appears to be a “racial smear campaign against him and the unfair conduct of distortion from the essential matter of transformation”.

“Context is key, Kannemeyer’s intervention reflects deep concern over the persistence of apartheid-era appointment patterns at Stellenbosch Municipality. This is not an attack on merit, but a call to interrogate whether our selection criteria unintentionally reproduce privilege and undermine redress.” 

Kannemeyer could not be reached for comment. 

The Cape Times asked the municipality to provide the racial make-up of senior/top management including transformation efforts the municipality had adopted. This publication also asked whether anyone resigned on the basis that they felt those Kannemeyer’s were targeted at them and if actions had been taken against Kannemeyer or the employee who leaked the video. 

The municipality withdrew their response to these questions.

According to the 2025 Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) annual report, in the Western Cape out of 11 911 top management positions, 56%, or 6704 positions were held by white men.

Dr Harlan Cloete, local governance and public leadership research fellow in the centre for gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State, said when it comes to representation and transformation, people must be given opportunities.

The Skills Development Act and the Employment Equity Act were in place to allow for this. 

“We have had the Skills Development Act and the Employment Equity Act since 1998. The best affirmative action is training and development of people. The municipality must be able to explain to us why is it that the skills pool of black people is so low because (in terms of the EE ACT) the beneficiaries of trade must be 85% black, 54% women and 4% disabled. What does it say about our Skills Development Act if employees are not coming through. 

“How do we explain that black employees are not coming through? What does it say of our internal skills development programmes if black people and women are not coming through. Just like when you look at the Springbok team you want to see yourself. It’s the same in the workplace. People want to be seen and people want to be heard. So people must be given opportunities. I am for affirmative action and the best affirmative action is training and development of people,” he said.

Cape Times