The EFF in Mpumalanga has requested that Public Protector Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka investigate the appointment of the CEO of the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (NSEZ).
Dr Nontobeko Mahlalela allegedly secured this job while still on the board responsible for hiring her.
The EFF complaint, seen by Sunday World, is against both the NSEZ board of directors and Mpumalanga MEC for Economic Development and Tourism Nomakhosazana Masilela, who signed off on the recruitment.
At the centre of the EFF’s grievance is what it calls a blatant conflict of interest – Mahlalela was interviewed and appointed by her board colleagues while still an active member of that very board.
“The board is supposed to provide oversight over the CEO, not appoint one of their own
into that position,” EFF provincial leader Collen Sedibe told Sunday World.
The NSEZ, a government-owned R2.8-billion economic development entity headquartered at No 2 Eastern Boulevard, Riverside, in Mbombela, is tasked with transforming the Nkomazi region near the Mozambican border into a hub for logistics, agroprocessing, and green energy.
In his formal submission to the Public Protector, Sedibe argues that Mahlalela’s continued presence on the board during recruitment, despite recusing herself from parts of it, compromises the integrity of the process, undermines public trust, and raises serious governance concerns.
He has called on Gcaleka to investigate whether the appointment was lawful, procedurally fair, and free from undue influence.
The party said it had initially attempted to trigger the investigation through the Mpumalanga legislature, but the ruling ANC, backed by the DA, blocked the motion, prompting the EFF to escalate the matter.
The EFF’s submission is backed by documentation, including CVs and academic records of candidates it claims were more qualified but not shortlisted.
One CV, according to the EFF, shows that the candidate was shortlisted despite not meeting the minimum requirements.
It said the legislature refused to admit the documents it had as evidence during a sitting this week.
“The recruitment process was flawed from start to finish. We are asking the Public Protector to review every step, including the role of the MEC,” Sedibe said.
MEC Nomakhosazana Masilela, whose department oversees the NSEZ, has repeatedly defended the appointment.
“The panel was satisfied that the shortlisted candidates met the criteria,” Masilela wrote in response to the EFF’s inquiry.
“The process was lawful, fair, and concluded in line with the SEZ Act. The EFF is just
grandstanding.”
The short-listing panel, which interviewed four candidates, was chaired by Vusumuzi Windvoël, the NSEZ board chairperson, and included two fellow board members alongside the CEOs of the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency.
The acting general manager for corporate services at NSEZ served as the scribe.
Sedibe maintains that the composition of the panel represents a textbook case of compromised governance.
“How does the board perform its oversight function if the CEO is one of their own? This is a direct violation of the principles of good governance,” he said.
Mahlalela has since formally assumed office, leading the NSEZ’s ambitious plans to transform Nkomazi into a trade and investment powerhouse.
Whether her appointment withstands the scrutiny of the Public Protector remains to
be seen.
