Cape Town - The Theewaterskloof Municipality says it is investigating a sexual harassment complaint lodged by a female municipal employee against deputy mayor, John Michels.
The employee who lodged the complaint with the office of the speaker alleged Michels would come to her office and make inappropriate remarks towards her. Michels has, however, rejected the allegations as “malicious fabrication”.
“The last incident was on Monday August 22, 2022. He came to the office and made an inappropriate statement. When I told him it was inappropriate to make such statements, especially in the workplace, he got cross and stepped out. He would tell me I look ‘oulik’ and ‘lekker’ as usual, and come tap me on the back. This has happened on numerous occasions in the workplace.
“I notified my husband and my husband then approached him to confront him. He then decided to go to social media and everywhere else to belittle me. They (the municipality) need to do their investigation because this happened in the workplace. I want him to acknowledge that what he has been doing to me is wrong,” she said.
Michels refuted the allegations, saying: “The allegations are not true and I regard them as malicious. The complaint only arose after I refused to misuse my position to unduly influence an appointment of a staff member in the municipality. Ask her about the conflict she has with the municipality about a job. She wanted me to interfere in the administration to support her and I refused.”
The municipality said the office of the speaker was investigating the facts and circumstances relating to the allegation.
“A complaint of alleged sexual harassment was received from an employee at the Theewaterskloof Municipality against the deputy mayor.
The deputy mayor has responded and denied the allegations made against him. The speaker’s office is further investigating the facts and circumstances of the allegation, and as soon as this process is concluded a report will be tabled at a council meeting for further discussion and decision,” the municipality said.
GOOD party secretary-general and MP Brett Herron said they had launched an internal investigation.
“The complainant, a former member of GOOD, submitted a formal complaint to my office. The complaint is being investigated and the party’s National Management Committee will receive a report and decide whether a prima facie case exists.”
Anti-gender based violence activist and former DA chairperson at the Theewaterskloof Municipality Tania Bippert said: “In the private sector, if there is a case of sexual misconduct, you are suspended pending investigation. In the government the alleged perpetrators stay in their positions, pending an investigation. All we are asking is that Salga looks at the sexual misconduct policy and adapt it.”
Cape Times