Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Lerina Strydom
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality calls the Council and all relevant governance structures to ensure that the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) remains an institution dedicated to genuine oversight, rather than serving as a shield for political maneuvering. The integrity of municipal governance must be preserved.
This follows the appointment of James Tsolela as the Chairperson of the MPAC This appointment is a glaring contradiction to the principles of transparency and accountability. This committee is entrusted with overseeing corruption-related findings and ensuring financial accountability, yet it is now led by an individual whose past actions have undermined these very objectives.
Mr. Tsolela resigned from his position as Executive Mayor of Matlosana under a cloud of corruption allegations. His resignation was framed as a step to allow “due process” to unfold, but has that process truly been followed? Instead of facing the necessary scrutiny, he has been elevated to a position where he now oversees critical investigations into municipal misconduct.
His actions in his acting role as MPAC Chairperson have already raised serious concerns. Mere minutes before a Council meeting, without committee approval, he unilaterally withdrew an investigative report that had been finalised weeks prior.
The report contained damning recommendations, including holding the Municipal Manager personally liable for irregular expenditure totaling R375,416.15 linked to Modiboa Attorneys Inc.—a service provider whose appointment failed to yield value for money. It also called for disciplinary action against the Municipal Manager for failing to act on misconduct findings against the Chief Fire Officer.
Why was this report suddenly withheld? The timing and manner of its withdrawal suggest a deliberate effort to shield implicated officials from immediate financial and disciplinary consequences. When objections were raised, they were swiftly silenced. MPAC members, attempted to challenge the procedural irregularities, raising points of order to the Speaker, only to be dismissed with alarming speed.
I was removed from the meeting, after objecting, preventing me from participating in the vote for the new MPAC Chairperson. This raises further concerns about political interference and the deliberate exclusion of dissenting voices in Council proceedings.
This pattern of obstruction and suppression highlights the urgent need for scrutiny. The appointment of Mr. Tsolela to this oversight body not only erodes trust in MPAC but also calls into question whether corruption will ever be meaningfully addressed in this municipality. If due process was indeed meant to unfold following his resignation, how is it that he is now in a position to influence investigations into municipal financial misconduct?
Procedural violations in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality are escalating, systematically suppressing oversight efforts and eroding accountability.