Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Arista Annandale
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mahikeng will write to Mayor Tshepiso Mphehlo to demand clarity on the irregular appointment of four senior managers and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The mayor must explain to council how these appointments came about, why there has been a delay in addressing the matter, and what corrective action will follow.
This follows after a letter from the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi, was written to the municipality on 25 February 2025 outlining the irregularities concerning the appointment of the CFO and senior managers for Public Safety, Corporate Services, Socio-Economic Development and Community Services (see attached letters here and here).
The appointments, made on 30 January 2025, were not properly disclosed to council. It has now emerged that the interview and screening process contravened the Municipal Systems Act.
The DA objected to the appointment of Mr Mahole as the Senior Manager for Corporate Services due to allegations of nepotism and fraud which is under investigation by the Hawks, but were led to believe that the other appointments were above board.
The DA objected to the appointment of Mr Mahole as the Senior Manager for Corporate Services due to allegations of nepotism and fraud which is under investigation by the Hawks, but were led to believe that the other appointments were above board.
The fact that these managers were appointed irregularly is not surprising, as it is not the first time that appointments are made in this fashion. The DA previously objected to several acting senior managers who were appointed for longer than a three-month period without concurrence from the MEC for COGHSTA, as prescribed by the Municipal Systems Act. Our requests for any correspondence between the MEC and the municipality regarding the extension of their terms were contemptuously ignored and subsequently no proof that the MEC was aware of their perceived misconduct was ever presented to Council.
As the municipality seemingly made no attempt towards corrective measures, we implore MEC Molapisi to take further action to ensure that accountability is enforced. The DA will monitor all further developments.