Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - Leaders of the African People’s Convention (APC) say they will be leading a march to the Polokwane High Court on this morning in protest against the alleged illegal employment of a municipal manager.
The high court will hear an application for the appointment of Mogalakwena municipal manager Morris Maluleke to be declared null and void.
“APC senior leadership and members in Limpopo will be at the Polokwane High Court in support of APC councillor Comrade Jerry Mogotle and (the) Mogalakwena community to challenge the illegal appointment of the municipal manager,” said APC spokesperson Freddy Mbhandze.
He said Maluleke was illegally appointed on August 8 after a dodgy council meeting involving councillors from the ANC.
“An official council sitting, which was supposed to start at 1pm, was postponed via SMS 15 minutes before. An SMS is used as formal communication at Mogalakwena.
“To the surprise of the APC councillor and others who were still around the municipality to do some paperwork, the Mogalakwena mayor and some ANC councillors tried to reconvene the postponed council in the absence of the council speaker.
“The ANC councillors insisted on appointing an acting speaker and appointed Mr Maluleke as the new municipal manager against advice. APC councillor Mogotle was still completing some documents in the council chamber when he also rose to advise that the sitting was illegal and he could not participate in the illegal appointment. His objection was recorded,” Mbhandze said.
The municipal manager position became available last year when Beverly Gunqisa resigned. It is unclear whether the municipality is defending the matter in court.
Maluleke and municipal spokesperson Malesela Selokela were not immediately available for comment.
The Mogalakwena municipality has been embroiled in a number of scandals involving managers and councillors.
Last month, the labour bargaining council directed Mogalakwena municipality to reverse the unlawful appointment of 400 employees.
And in July, the Pretoria News reported that a Polokwane judge had dismissed an application by 29 people, including the municipality’s former mayor, Andrina Matsemela, municipal officials and company directors, who wanted corruption and money laundering cases against them to be struck off the roll.
The case involves a R15 million tender fraud at the municipality, 104 charges of corruption, three of money laundering and three of conspiracy to commit corruption in relation to tender irregularities. Judge Maake Kganyago, of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, dismissed their bid and postponed the case to October 7.
Pretoria News