Oudtshoorn, 23 March 2016 – The Oudtshoorn Municipality has suspended Mr. Ronnie Lottering, a Director for Community Services pending further investigation which may lead to a disciplinary hearing in the near future.
Mr. Lottering who has for the past two years acting as Municipal Manager preceding the Municipality’s placement under administration has been served with a formal suspension notice on Tuesday, 22 March 2016 in terms of the Disciplinary Regulations of 2010 for senior managers.
“Lottering was served with a letter of intention to suspend on 09 March 2016; he was in the same letter afforded an opportunity to make representations to the Administrator, Kam Chetty as to why he should not be suspended,” said the acting Municipal Manager, Allen Paulse.
“The Administrator has however proceeded with the suspension despite Lottering’s representations against the suspension.”
The administrator must in the interim appoint an independent investigator that must within a maximum of 30 days of appointment, submit a report to the Municipal Manager. Upon receipt of such all-inclusive report, the Council or in this instance Administrator may then decide on the basis of the report to formally institute a disciplinary hearing in terms of the content of such a report (that constitute a transgression).
“We are at this stage not at liberty to divulge the content of the allegations against him, we can, however confirm that this suspension is totally independent of the findings of the recent forensic investigations into the Oudtshoorn Municipality,” Paulse concluded.