By Johnathan Paoli
The standoff between the City of Ekurhuleni and its long-serving city manager, Dr Imogen Mashazi, over her refusal to accept an early exit ahead of her retirement, remains unresolved as the city council noted correspondence between Mashazi and Executive mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza.
Mashazi has been placed on special leave, pending her retirement.
She is supposed to retire in August when she turns 65 but wants to remain in office until her contract expires in 2027.
The city council met on Tuesday to discuss whether the decision to put her on special leave should be reversed.
This comes as Xhakaza seeks legal advice regarding the legality of the council’s decision to place Mashazi on special leave.
Mashazi was granted special leave two weeks ago, with the city citing legislation that prohibits individuals over the age of 65 from occupying senior positions.
Spokesperson for the Office of City Manager, Zweli Dlamini, said they were awaiting response from the Mayor’s office concerning Mashazi’s response and would follow protocol and processes in settling the matter.
“The matter is an employee/employer issue and due processes are underway to deal with it as we speak and therefore no further comment,” he said.
During a meeting declared as being in-committee by the Speaker, the Ekurhuleni council received a report on the correspondence between the Executive Mayor and the City Manager, resolving to note the report with no other decisions being made.
Following reports and allegations of faction fighting and an agenda to remove Mashazi by a faction aligned to the mayor, Inside Metros reached out to the African National Congress (ANC) Caucus in Ekurhuleni.
ANC RTT Coordinator Jongizizwe Dlabathi denied the claims that he and the mayor were part of a faction within the ANC regional structures pushing for Mashazi’s removal as city manager.
“The rumour or allegation is false. There is no ANC position to push for the removal of the City Manager,” Dlabathi confirmed.
Mashazi, who turns 65 in July, is at odds with the council’s decision to place her on special leave, accusing the municipality of acting unlawfully and with financial motives.
The council, invoking the Municipal Systems Act, passed a resolution late last month to place Mashazi on leave from that date until 1 August, citing that individuals over the age of 65 may not hold senior positions in local government.
However, Mashazi challenged the move, stating that she intends to continue working until the end of July, when she officially reaches the statutory retirement age.
In a formal response dated and addressed to Mayor Xhakaza, Mashazi rejected the special leave imposed on her, asserting that the council’s decision amounts to constructive dismissal.
“I did not apply for any leave (especially special leave) and I do not accept you forcing same upon me,” she wrote, warning that any deviation from procedure exposes the council to legal risk.
Mashazi, who has served the metro for nearly three decades and became its first woman city manager in 2016, said she had hoped for a dignified retirement rather than a public dispute.
She accused city officials of trying to avoid fulfilling the financial obligations tied to the remainder of her five-year contract, which still has two years to run.
Despite the Municipal Systems Act’s clear stipulation that senior municipal managers must retire in the month following their 65th birthday, Mashazi maintains that a waiver was previously applied for under former mayor and Democratic Alliance councillor Tanya Campbell, which would have permitted her to remain in office beyond the age limit.
According to insiders, there is a growing possibility that the decision may be overturned, with some councillors concerned about the legal implications and reputational damage to the city.
In a media statement issued by the Office of the City Manager last week, Mashazi’s team expressed dismay over the leak of the mayor’s memorandum to the press, calling it a “deliberate and calculated act intended to undermine Mashazi’s professional reputation.”
The office reaffirmed her commitment to good governance and said she would continue reporting for duty.
This follows a letter to Mashazi by Xhakaza, in which he insisted that the council resolution must be upheld and that failure to comply would be considered irregular and unlawful; instructing the City Manager to facilitate a smooth transition process during her remaining time on special leave.
Mashazi’s legal team warned of procedural breaches and hinted at the deletion of meeting recordings, which she alleges may have been criminal acts by senior officials.
In an interview with 702’s Bongani Bingwa last week, Mashazi said she was baffled by the City’s decision to place her on special leave, saying there is an inference of wrongdoing on her part.
“The notion that I do not want to retire is not correct. I had my final engagement with the officials in May. I indicated that I would be retiring … when I’m reaching 65,” Mashazi told 702 Radio.
“But unfortunately, they put a clause where they are saying I must take special leave for the two months, that’s June and July, before my retirement. When you put someone on special leave, it means this person has some allegation of… misconduct. There is nothing like this. It’s about the council not wanting to pay me the remainder of my salary.”
INSIDE METROS