A group of whistleblowers has written to several government departments, including the presidency, asking them to institute a probe into several appointments at Ubuhlebezwe local municipality, which is anchored in Ixopo in southern KwaZulu-Natal.
The letter dated April 10, which Sunday World has seen, was also sent to Corruption Watch, the SIU, the Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, among others.
The whistleblowers allege that three senior managers in the ANC-run municipality were appointed without the required qualifications and their appointments were influenced by politicians in the Harry Gwala region.
One senior manager (whose name is known to Sunday World) was appointed allegedly because of her romantic relationship with a leader of the ANC in the region. It was alleged that she joined the municipality while having matric and she later notched a top director position while still working on attaining the required qualification.
“This relationship is widely viewed as the primary reason she was fast-tracked into a Section 56 managerial position, despite lacking the necessary academic qualifications, experience, and compliance with legislated minimum competency standards at the time.
“Her appointment is a glaring example of political interference, undermining the principles of merit-based selection, fairness, and integrity that are foundational to the Municipal Systems Act.
“Furthermore, the fact that she only obtained her qualification from (a private tertiary institution) after assuming the role raises serious questions about the legality of the appointment process and the integrity of those who presided over it,” reads the letter.
The manager is accused of using her relationship with the politicians to bully fellow employees.
“Her conduct has effectively created a hostile and oppressive work environment, where fear, intimidation and favouritism have replaced professionalism, transparency, and ethical governance.
Employees who dare to question her decisions or raise legitimate concerns are
swiftly labelled as ‘troublemakers’, marginalised, or subjected to strategic forms of victimisation such as isolation or exclusion from institutional processes.”
In another case highlighted in the letter, the whistleblowers claimed that the three managers fingered have turned the municipality into their fiefdom.
“As a result, everyone tiptoes around them. The mayor and municipal manager are too intimidated to challenge their actions. This culture of impunity and intimidation has deeply
undermined staff morale, destroyed trust in leadership, and severely impacted the municipality’s ability to provide effective service delivery.”
They requested that there should be an investigation into the appointments of the three managers, verification of all qualifications and protection for whistleblowers and staff members affected by the prevalent culture of abuse and fear.
They also said the process to fill the position of the chief financial officer (CFO) should be halted until the investigations are concluded, as it appears that a candidate has already been identified in advance.
The mayor of the municipality, Bathobile Ngubo, said they have seen the letter in question and they have taken note of the matters raised.
“The municipality wishes to place on record that it supports any form of investigation and stands ready to provide all necessary information relevant to the issues highlighted.
“It is important to state that CoGTA is an integral part of the recruitment processes for Section 56 Managers, as a monitoring body to ensure compliance with all applicable legislative prescripts. The municipality wishes to emphasise that it has nothing to hide.
“However, it must also be noted that some of the matters raised in the letter are of a personal nature. As such, the municipality is not in a position to comment on personal allegations concerning individuals. The municipality remains committed to cooperating fully with any authorised investigative processes,” she said.
