The Mogalakwena Municipality in Mokopane, Limpopo has been instructed to reverse the appointment of two senior managers by the Cooperative Governance Department.
This is due to alleged irregularities in their appointments. In a letter seen by the SABC which was written to the mayor, it states that Kulungwana Ngomana and Leonard Mashishi were irregularly appointed as chief financial officer and manager for community services respectively.
The department says the appointments must be reversed as it was not informed within 14 days as per regulations. Furthermore, the letter states that the current chief financial officer allegedly has a pending criminal case of fraud.
The pair were appointed two months ago. According to the letter from the department, Ngomana was irregularly appointed as he was the third preferred candidate, and that, the first and second candidates who performed well during the interviews didn’t decline the appointment. The letter also states that Ngomana has a pending criminal case of fraud allegedly committed in 2017.
The department wants the appointments of Ngomana and Mashishi reversed. Mogalakwena Municipal spokesperson Malesela Selokela however says proper procedures were followed in the appointments.
“The Mogalakwena Municipality Council resolved to appoint Mr Ngomana based on his experience, skills, qualifications and expertise in local government, Mr Ngomana or our CFO was never convicted in any court of law in South Africa. I’d would like to emphasise that it is wrong to conclude Mr Ngomana has been convicted of fraud while we are in position of his clearance certificate and all vetting processes were followed,” Selokela explains.
Selokela further indicates that they have made representations to the department regarding the appointment of the two officials. Selokela says they are awaiting for the response.
“The municipality has responded to the two communiques which were written by the MEC of COGHSTA to Mogalakwena local municipality and that is when since we were addressing all issues raised by the MEC of COGHSTA and we are waiting for the outcome of the response from the office of the MEC,” Selokela added.
However, the Cooperative Governance Department spokesperson Hitekani Magwedze accedes that they have received representations from the Mogalakwena Municipality regarding the appointments of two senior officials. Magwedze says they are considering the representations.
“As far as the update is concerned the appointment have not yet been reversed, as a department we had received correspondence from the municipality and we are currently considering those representations made,” says Magwedze.
Three years ago, the municipality allegedly made irregular appointments of more than 400 municipal workers.
Their appointments are still under investigation.
