Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Johannes le Grange
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Matlosana is once again vindicated following the termination of the disastrous R81 million contract awarded to 20 Elevation Construction for upgrades at the municipal landfill site.
The DA issued a formal letter to Council on 12 March 2025, highlighting extensive red flags, including:
- The company did not have the necessary equipment to execute the project.
- It was under business rescue at the time.
- It failed to provide the compulsory bank guarantee.
- It was not tax compliant.
- It was not a local business and had no established track record in Matlosana.
These warnings were raised again during subsequent Council meetings. Each time, the Speaker, Cllr Stella Mondlane, responded with the same refrain: “It will be addressed during the next Council meeting.” To this day, those answers have never materialised.
The contract has now been abruptly terminated due to blatant non-performance, with the completion date of July 2025 long overdue and no meaningful progress recorded. Despite this, the municipality has already paid out R37 million, while workers and personnel repeatedly reported non-payment and severe mismanagement on site.
These were not minor concerns, they were fundamental disqualifying factors. Yet the ANC-led municipality forcefully pushed ahead with the appointment.
It has since emerged that the company is allegedly linked to members of the Speaker, Cllr Stella Mondlane’s family, including her husband, the very person to whom the appointment letter was addressed. The Speaker failed to declare this conflict of interest, in direct violation of the Municipal Systems Act and the councillor Code of Conduct.
This scandal is not an accident; it is the inevitable outcome of an ANC administration that consistently places political insiders above the needs of residents. Matlosana continues to pay the price for cadre deployment, corruption and a Speaker who fails to uphold the duties of her office.
Yet this same Speaker is bizarrely nominated to represent Matlosana in international competitions as a “top-performing councillor”.
The DA will not accept this. Matlosana residents deserve ethical leadership, competent administration and full transparency regarding how public funds are spent.
The DA will continue pursuing accountability, including formally demanding a full investigation into the irregular appointment, payments already made, and the Speaker’s undisclosed conflict of interest. We will keep fighting to ensure residents receive the honest, responsible governance they deserve.