Mayor rejoices as council fires Cwele

The axe has fallen on convicted drug dealer Sheryl Cwele.

Hibiscus Coast municipality's executive council yesterday unanimously voted to dismiss Cwele, wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga, from her position as health manager.

The decision came 10 days after a disciplinary hearing chairman found Cwele guilty of improper conduct, misconduct and failure to protest the municipality's interest.

The independent chairman recommended dismissal, which the council upheld yesterday.

Municipal manager S'bu Mkhize said Cwele would have 10 days to appeal the decision.

The municipality's lawyer, Solomzi Mdledle, said that Cwele was informed of the outcome of her disciplinary hearing but might not be aware of the council's decision.

"Therefore, we will count 10 days from when she is informed," he said.

Both Mkhize and Mdledle said Cwele's lawyer wrote a letter to the municipality last week stating that his client would appeal the hearing's finding.

However, Cwele's lawyer, Mvuseni Ngubane, said he did not write a letter to the municipality or give any indication they would appeal.

When asked if Cwele was aware she had been fired and if she planned to appeal, Ngubane said he did not know.

"I do not know if she has been made aware. And on the appeal, no comment," he said.

Mkhize said that Cwele would be paid her full salary until the "entire disciplinary process is over".

"If the employee chooses to appeal, according to law she will be paid until finality of the whole matter," he said.

Four days after her conviction on May 5, the council agreed that Cwele should not be paid as of June 10 and that a formal disciplinary hearing should take place.

Cwele's salary was reinstated in July when she took the council to the Labour Court to reverse the suspension of her salary. Council resolved to pay Cwele's salary after weighing the cost of legal fees for an appeal.

In court papers during her bail application, Cwele said she was paid R29000 a month.

Hibiscus Coast mayor Nomusa Mqwebu yesterday said she was happy Cwele had been fired.

"Everyone was waiting for this day and I am happy that we have taken such a decision. As a new council we did say that we were going to address this matter especially to ratepayers, who were saying that we were not doing justice. But we had to follow guidelines under labour laws so no one came back to sue us. Today a lot of weight that has been on our shoulders, we have taken down," she said.

Cwele and Nigerian Frank Nabolisa were sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for recruiting drug mule Tessa Beetge, who is serving a prison sentence in Brazil, and attempting to recruit Charmaine Moss.

Cwele was granted leave to appeal her conviction and is out on bail.