The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised serious concerns over what it describes as a governance crisis at a Limpopo’s agricultural and mining municipality following its continued failure to appoint a permanent municipal manager and a Director for Planning and Local Economic Development (LED).
According to DA Councillor and party researcher, Moses Maringa, the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality has been operating without a municipal manager for almost a year, while the LED director position has remained vacant since 2022.
Plagued by political dysfunction
“The ongoing failure of Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality to appoint a municipal manager and a director for Planning and Local Economic Development is not a minor administrative setback, but a clear indication of deep structural and political dysfunction that continues to plague the municipality,” Maringa said.
He added that the absence of competent leadership has resulted in devastating consequences, including a collapse in service delivery, deteriorating staff morale, and stagnation of essential development projects.
“Residents are left to endure unreliable services, collapsing infrastructure, and a total lack of accountability,” he said.
The DA said it would engage with Municipal Speaker Joyce Nkoabela to address the leadership vacuum.
Need for transparent review
Maringa outlined several measures the party wants implemented, including, a transparent review of the recruitment process, an independent audit to determine why previous recruitment attempts have failed and whether political interference or flawed selection criteria played a role, and the engagement of professional recruitment services to ensure qualified candidates are sourced through a transparent and credible process.
He further suggested that the municipality should offer competitive remuneration, clear deliverables, and performance-based contracts to attract skilled professionals.
Should the municipality fail to act, Maringa said the DA would refer the matter to the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Bioskop Makamu, for urgent intervention.
“The DA is committed to ensuring that residents of Lepelle-Nkumpi finally benefit from ethical, capable, and appropriately qualified senior management that delivers services and prioritises the basic needs of communities,” Maringa concluded.
Attempts by Sunday World to get comment from Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality spokesperson Lazzy Ledwaba were unsuccessful.
