Note to Editors: The Acting Directorship goes beyond HR to all of Corporate Services.
The DA welcomes that Mayor of Stellenbosch Municipality, Jeremy Fasser, has called for the scheduling of a special Council meeting on Friday 05 September to handle the matter of Acting Corporate Services Director Alexander Kannemeyer.
Race-based bullying, or bullying of any kind, has no place in any workplace. Every candidate and every employee must be treated fairly and equitably, no matter their race or culture.
At Friday’s Council meeting the DA will bring a motion to terminate the acting-Directorship of Kannemeyer, who has been acting-Director of Corporate Services. 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 is a move in the right direction, and a demonstration that in government the DA has no tolerance for those who seek to divide or bully officials on the basis of their race.
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. No person in South Africa would support a policy that calls for bullying and harassment in the workplace.