The DA in Mangaung has accused ANC mayor Gregory Nthatisi and council speaker Lawrence Mathae of pushing through an unlawful extension of Centlec CEO Malefane Sekoboto’s contract.
Sekoboto’s five-year-term contract expired on December 31 last year; however, his stay at the helm of the Bloemfontein-based power utility was extended to March 31 this year.
The DA said the move was approved in a closed virtual council sitting and risks deepening governance failures in a metro that has been under administration since 2019.
“Despite the municipality being under administration since 2019, governance continues to deteriorate because the necessary legislation is not being followed. The DA will alert oversight bodies, including the auditor-general, the provincial legislature, and the parliamentary portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs, to address these ongoing governance failures.
Kotze said that during a closed virtual council meeting on December 30, 2025, the DA refused to take part in a vote to extend Sekoboto’s contract by three months, warning that the decision “violates legal requirements” and exposes Mangaung to serious governance, audit and legal risks.
He said Sekoboto’s five-year term expired on December 31, 2025, but the ANC, EFF, FF+ and PA voted to keep him in office until March 31.
Citing the Municipal Systems Act, Kotze said once a fixed-term contract ends, “the position must be declared vacant and an acting CEO legally appointed,” arguing that extending an expired contract is unlawful. Kotze said the ANC-led council had chosen a legally questionable shortcut instead of following a transparent and compliant process.
Kotze said the DA was opposed to what it viewed as the ANC pushing decisions through “behind closed doors”, while keeping key information from residents and the media.
He said the public had a right to know that Sekoboto’s contract was extended by a further three months and that the DA would hold the ANC to account to ensure transparency in the metro’s governance. Kotze warned that secret meetings and what he described as unlawful decisions undermine public trust and further weaken an already fragile municipality.
He added that if the DA were in charge, it would follow the law, keep council meetings open to the public and appoint an acting CEO through a lawful process. “We will continue to expose the misuse of committee meetings and unlawful appointments. We insist that Mangaung’s leadership govern openly, lawfully, and in the best interests of residents.”
Sekoboto is also involved in a legal dispute with Mangaung spokesperson Lele Mamatu, who was ejected from Centlec after the CEO claimed that Mamatu had resigned.
Mamatu has disputed that he resigned and approached the Bloemfontein High Court to challenge what he described as a resignation letter that had nothing to do with him. He cited Sekoboto, Centlec and Mangaung as respondents.
In July last year, the court ordered Centlec and Sekoboto to reinstate Mamatu and interdicted the power utility and the CEO from processing the alleged resignation letter.
“The applicant’s non-compliance with the rules relating to time periods, form and service for bringing the application is condoned, and the matter is heard as urgent. Pending the determination of the relief sought, the first (Centlec) and second (Sekoboto) respondents are hereby interdicted and/or restrained from processing the purported resignation by the applicant (Mamatu).
Centlec and Sekoboto later sought leave to appeal the judgment, but their application was dismissed with costs by Judge Sharon Chesiwe, following the earlier ruling in Mamatu’s favour by Judge Pitso Molitsoane.
After the Bloemfontein High Court dismissed the leave to appeal, Centlec and Sekoboto escalated the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Mamatu told Sunday World he was never suspended or dismissed, but said he was removed from Centlec premises and has now spent seven months at home without pay.
“I am sitting at home, and now it is seven months, and I am not getting paid. I was never suspended or fired from work.”
Sekoboto declined to comment as per detailed questions sent to him.
