Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Gerhard Strydom
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the decision of the Mahikeng High Court to dismiss the urgent application brought by the City of Matlosana’s controversial Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mercy Phetla, in an attempt to halt disciplinary action against her.
On Friday, 26 September 2025, Phetla’s bid to interdict the municipality from proceeding with disciplinary hearings scheduled for 29 September to 3 October 2025 was struck from the court roll. She was further ordered to pay the municipality’s legal costs. Phetla had also sought to set aside the appointment of the presiding officer and evidence leader in the proceedings.
This ruling pave the way for the municipality to move forward with critical accountability measures to address serious allegations of financial misconduct.
The DA is, however, deeply concerned by the conduct of the Speaker of Council, who misled the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) when asked if she was shielding the CFO. The Speaker claimed that “all reports have been reported” despite being in possession of a report from the Municipal Manager and despite a letter from the Executive Mayor requesting that the outstanding report on the CFO be submitted to Council. To date, this has not been done.
This falsehood undermines transparency, accountability, and the principles of good governance.
The DA will continue to monitor the process to ensure that the disciplinary proceedings go ahead without delay and that residents’ interests remain the top priority. Accountability must not be sacrificed to protect individuals implicated in wrongdoing.