DA wants Molemole municipality placed under administration after 10 senior managers arrested

The DA has asked for the Molemole local municipality to be placed under administration after 10 senior managers were arrested by the Hawks this week.

The senior managers at the Molemole local municipality in the Peter Mokaba region of Limpopo were arrested in connection with tender fraud and corruption.

The EFF also weighed in, demanding that the arrested officials not be granted bail.

EFF demands arrested officials ‘pay back every cent’

EFF provincial chair Makgabo Lawrence Mapoulo blamed corruption in the ANC-led municipality for R38 million going missing.

“This after a landfill-site project, meant to see the municipality’s environment clean, welcoming and healthy, was left incomplete for years while municipal fat cats lined their pockets unabated. Money to the tune of R2.2 million was paid before work started, full payment was later made when the project was left incomplete.

“We, as the EFF, demand a jail term and not bail. We also demand that all the arrested officials must pay back every cent lost. We further demand that all the officials must be suspended now and not tomorrow, while the municipality fixes the system today and not tomorrow,” said Mapoulo.

DA wants municipality placed under administration

The DA has called on cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs MEC Basikop Rodgers Makamu to place the municipality under administration.

“We have continuously raised concern over Molemole’s irregular and dubious project appointments. These include the Morebeng landfill site, where the department of economic development and environmental affairs allocated an amount of R38 million for infrastructure development. But despite this hefty budget, to date, only a palisade fence and a borehole drilled were completed.

“The contractor on the electrification of Matseke extension was paid R2 million before project completion. A service provider, whose rates and taxes were in arrears at the Ekurhuleni metro, was awarded a tender worth R238 500 to conduct training for councillors,” said DA councillor Calvin Matje.

This appointment was later found to be in contravention of regulation 28 of the Supply Chain Management Act.

Matje added that the construction of the R7.5 million Fatima culvert bridge was marred by underperformance by the contractor, who was not held accountable.

He said the level of corruption within Molemole local municipality was also flagged by the Auditor General in its 2024/2025 report. He accused Mayor Masilo Paya of ignoring this.

Matje named those arrested by the Hawks as:

• The Municipal Manager – Kgabo Makgatho
• The Community Services Manager – Timothy Molopa
• Manger of Supply Chain – Tebogo Ralephenya
• Chairperson of the Bid Evaluation Committee, who is also the Manager in the Office of the Municipal Manager – Nkoto Modiisha
• Acting Manager: Technical Services – Justice Mabetoa
• Acting Manager: Corporate Services – Maphuti Manyelo
• Manager: Technician and Stormwater – Bongani Mabaso

Matje said the Hawks further arrested the former chief financial officer Zulu Myizile, contractor Donald Masipa, and the former technical services manager and his wife.

Corruption at Elias Motsoaledi local municipality

Meanwhile, DA MP Nico Pienaar, who is also the party’s political head in the Sekhukhune district, has welcomed the arrest of the former legal manager of the Elias Motsoaledi local municipality in Groblersdal this week. The manager was arrested in connection with allegations of fraud and corruption involving tender irregularities.

“In 2023, the then municipal manager, Minah Maredi, was arrested in connection with the irregular appointment of a consulting firm that cost taxpayers nearly R700 000. This pattern of misconduct reflects a municipality plagued by weak governance and a lack of consequence management.

“We also cannot ignore the infamous VBS scandal between 2015 and 2018, where approximately R190 million in public funds was invested into the now defunct VBS Bank. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a deeply entrenched culture of corruption.

“It is clear that the ANC-led Elias Motsoaledi local municipality is rotten to the core and has failed its residents. Communities deserve better. They deserve a government that serves them, not one that enriches itself at their expense,” said Pienaar.