The leadership of the troubled Matjhabeng local municipality in the Free State, including mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha, municipal manager Thabo Panyani, ANC councillors and officials, is reportedly defying Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and the provincial exco representative (PER) by not implementing the strategy designed to improve the municipality’s dire financial situation.
Matjhabeng, which falls under the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, covers areas such as Welkom, Virginia, Odendaalsrus and Allanridge.
It was placed under administration in May last year due to corruption, maladministration, service delivery failures and its inability to meet its governance and administrative obligations.
Sunday World has established that Khalipha and his supporters have allegedly been hostile towards the PER led by Makalo Mohale, the former MEC of education in the province, appointed to help implement the turnaround strategy plan devised as a remedy to Matjhabeng’s governance and administrative woes.
Khalipha and his supporters have reportedly resisted Mohale’s demands for accountability and transparency regarding the issues that had caused the municipality to collapse.
Insiders within the ANC and the municipality believe the intentional pushback also undermines Letsoha-Mathae, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Saki Mokoena and finance MEC Toto Makume, as it is alleged that they are afraid of challenging Khalipha’s defiance.
This is despite the fact that Makume, as the MEC for finance, had approved the Financial Recovery Plan (FRP).
This comes after the PER raised issues with Matjhabeng’s leadership, highlighting that they were still implementing wrong strategies and failing to adhere to the plan approved to resuscitate the embattled municipality.
In a letter sent to Khalipha and Panyani dated January 12, Mohale outlines critical points concerning the collection of municipal debt owed by Matjhabeng councillors and officials.
Mohale’s report revealed a staggering R120.4-million owed by councillors and officials in rates and taxes.
He said the defaulting councillors and municipal officials needed to sign collection agreements for the funds to be deducted from their salaries.
“Currently, no proof of these actions has been submitted to the provincial intervention team as required to assess progress,” said Mohale.
Mohale’s correspondence mentions that the municipality had failed to issue termination letters to the officials who were employed by Khalipha as office staff to supervise the workers in the extended public works programme (EPWP), for which the Department of Public Works had granted R3-million. The cost of the office staff to the municipality is put at R10-million.
“This activity requires the issuance of termination letters as part of the portfolio evidence. The intervention team has not received copies of letters or any documentary evidence regarding the implementation of this action,” said Mohale in his letter.
Sunday World has learned that former councillors, who are currently employed under the guise of monitoring EPWP, are the ones benefiting from the R10-million.
Furthermore, it is alleged that they are actually performing Khalipha’s political work, which ties their contracts to the mayor’s office.
Mohale also raised two other issues concerning the moratorium on recruitment processes.
He highlighted that the municipality had ignored the referral of maladministration allegations to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which is tasked with investigating irregular employee appointments and those made outside the organisational structures.
When contacted for further clarity, Mohale declined to comment and referred us to the Cogta and finance departments. However, neither the portfolio nor the premier had responded to our questions at the time of going to print.
Khalipha declined Sunday World’s request for comment.
