DA’s ‘selective outrage’ exposed

SIX years after a court ordered Stellenbosch Municipality to pay R750 000 to a qualified coloured woman who was overlooked in favour of an unqualified white candidate, the municipality's council is now acting against an employee who expressed concern about continued dominance of white males in senior management.

Despite being the preferred candidate recommended by a panel based on her qualifications, Zenobia Campbell was overlooked in favour of a less qualified white appointee who only had matric. 

She then challenged this decision, arguing that it amounted to unfair discrimination and was in contravention of Section 6 of the Employment Equity Act. 

Campbell’s advocate, Melanie Thorne had submitted to Labour Court judge Hilary Rabkin-Naicker that her client was subjected to unfair discrimination, arguing that her client sought a final order against the municipality declaring the preference of a white female candidate who does not meet the requirement of the advertisement.

The judge had concluded that a cost order be issued and left the parties to deliberate on the costs, which included the salary and benefits Campbell would have received, plus legal costs.

Six years later, the DA-led municipality’s transformation record is placed under scrutiny, amid allegations of stalled progress and growing concern over the persistent dominance of white males in senior management positions.

In a recently leaked video, Acting Corporate Services Director Alexander Kannemeyer questions why, in every appointment process, the highest-scoring candidate is always a white male.

“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? The message we are sending to especially internal staff is that they don’t have the capability and competency,” he said.

The DA caucus in council on Friday brought a motion “starting the legal process to suspend Mr Kannemeyer” for "expressing racist views promoting unlawful labour practices".

DA national spokesperson Willie Aucamp said Kannemeyer had seven days "to make representations as to why he should not be suspended”.

“(Mayor Jeremy Fasser) found sufficient cause to institute a full internal investigation, which Council has approved. This is a step in the right direction and demonstrates that under DA governance there is zero tolerance for workplace bullying, harassment, or racial division. This matter is not about transformation, employment equity, or empowerment, it is about protecting employees from a toxic work environment. No South African would support a policy of workplace bullying and harassment, and the DA will ensure accountability is enforced,” said Aucamp.

The National Coloured Congress (NCC) has accused the DA of selective outrage.

“Kannemeyer’s concerns about the overwhelming number of white appointments in Stellenbosch echo a pattern of exclusion. This is not an isolated issue but part of a broader, troubling trend. In 2018, the DA-led municipality was ordered to pay R750 000 in a case involving the demotion of a qualified Coloured woman in favour of a white woman with only a matric qualification. The Democratic Alliance continues to publicly claim to be non-racial, yet its internal practices and appointments speak otherwise. The NCC is monitoring the developments around Alexander Kannemeyer’s case closely,” the NCC said.  

The ANC caucus in council said they did not support the motion adding, “both the legal opinion of Council’s legal advisor and the guidance of Acting Municipal Manager, confirmed that Council does not have the jurisdiction to suspend or remove permanent staff”. 

“The only competence that Council had was to revoke his acting capacity as Director for Corporate Services, which had already been effected. Any attempt beyond this clearly falls outside the legal parameters of the Municipal Systems Act, the Municipal Structures Act, and the Municipal Regulations on Appointment and Conditions of Employment of Senior Managers. The ANC Caucus therefore did not support the DA’s motion. We placed on record our vote of dissent as this was an unlawful and politically expedient attempt to scapegoat an individual for deeper institutional challenges.

“The ANC has repeatedly highlighted that Stellenbosch Municipality’s senior managers particularly at Infrastructure Services reflect deep imbalances. Employment equity, redress, and genuine transformation remain largely rhetorical in this institution. We must stress that the incident involving Mr. Kannemeyer took place in 2023. The ANC Caucus has consistently raised this matter in Council over the past two years, and it is regrettable that it was never dealt with at the time. By allowing it to linger, Council has now created an unnecessary storm that undermines both the dignity of the official concerned and the credibility of the municipality’s transformation agenda.”

Both Stellenbosch Municipality and Kannemeyer did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Cape Times