THE African National Congress, Lower South Coast Region, has noted with great seriousness , the criminal proceedings instituted against Sheryl Cwele, an employee of the Hibiscus Coast Municipality. While we accept that that the law and due process must take its course we will follow proceedings closely. We have full confidence that the municipality in the interim will act appropriately in terms of applicable law, regulations and policies.
We reject emphatically any attempt to link these proceedings to Dr Siyabonga Cwele, an outstanding South African of great political integrity. We who know him and his circumstances, have no doubts about him. We urge to continue with his important work. As we have said before, the finest steel is tempered in the hottest of fires. Indeed the fact of her arrest and consequent legal procceedings, serves to strengthen the credibility and independance of our governing institutions .
We wish to epresss our full support for Dr Cwele and his children in this difficult time. It is also a lesson for all those close to our leadership of the need for vigilance. There are forces out there who will seek to exploitany vulnerability in our ranks.
Mzwandile Mkhwanazi
Regional Secretary
African National Congress
HIBISCUS Coast Municipalities Senior Manager of Mayoralty and Communications, Mr Simon Soboyisa, says that there is nothing unusual about the Director of Health and Community services, Ms Sheryl Cwele, taking annual leave in the first or second week of December 2009 as she is to return to work on 28 January 2010.
Sheryl Cwele is to continue with her duties. Hibiscus Coast Councils Speaker Ronnie Nair briefed journalists on Tuesday at a press conference held at the Civic Centre, that the Director of Health and Community Services was still a productive employee of the municipality. The council had decided not to suspend her pending the court ruling on her charges of drug trafficking. The council took the decision not to fire or suspend her after considering the legal opinion from its lawyers on Tuesday.
Sheryl Cwele
On the one hand, the South Coast Fever was fully justified last week to question the statement of the Hibiscus Coast Municipality which implied that Director Sheryl Cweles leave situation was normal. She has a history of being either on sick leave or on annual leave, or not in her office without leave. This is not a rumour, it is common knowledge.
Hibiscus Coast Municipal Director of Health and Community Services Sheryl Cwele is back at her office in Uvongo after being released on R100 000 bail by the Pietermaritzburg High Court last Friday. She was arrested on drug trafficking charges the week before.
