Polokwane water director’s appointment sparks debate over foreign nationals
Polokwane mayor John Mpe defends the appointment of Kennedy Chihota as director of water and sanitation, citing his qualifications and value to Polokwane’s metro goals.
POLOKWANE – The newly appointed director of water and sanitation in the Polokwane Municipality, Kennedy Chihota, was selected for the senior management position due to his scarce skills, extensive experience and strong qualifications, even though he is a foreign national from Zimbabwe.
This was confirmed by Mayor John Mpe during a media briefing last Wednesday, held at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium.
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The briefing was held to defend the municipality’s decision to appoint Chihota, whose selection over two other candidates was leaked from what seemed like a confidential council document shared on social media.
Responding to criticism, Mpe emphasised that Chihota brings rare and valuable expertise to the role, having previously worked for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
He said this aligns with Polokwane’s long-standing goal of achieving metro status.
According to the mayor, Chihota holds four Master’s degrees:
- Water resources engineering and management (University of Zimbabwe).
- Business administration (University of Zimbabwe).
- Property development (University of the Witwatersrand).
- Engineering (University of Stellenbosch).
Mpe further clarified that Chihota is currently the only foreign national in the municipality’s senior management team. The appointment, however, sparked concern among some residents, particularly amid ongoing service delivery challenges such as water shortages and sanitation issues.
Some residents have also questioned the increasing involvement of foreign nationals in Expanded Public Works Programmes (EPWP), claiming that locals are being overlooked.
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Adding to the controversy, it was also alleged that the municipality recently paid over R56m to a Zimbabwean-owned company.
Mpe responded that the payment was legally sound and part of a joint venture agreement.
