MOKOPANE – Mogalakwena Municipality and the Office of the Premier have strongly denounced a wave of fake social media accounts spreading false claims about municipal and provincial leaders.

On August 15, a fraudulent Facebook account impersonating Mogalakwena municipal manager Morris Montengo Maluleka began circulating allegations of corruption.

The municipality confirmed that Maluleka does not maintain any social media accounts and emphasised that official updates are only issued through its communications office.

“Despite opening a criminal case for further investigation, we believe these actions are by opportunists attempting to discredit the municipal manager,” the municipality stated.

The situation escalated when an account on X, @generalmkhwanaz, published claims linking the Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba and the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs Basikopo Makamu to irregular payments and nepotism.

The account alleged that Ramathuba and Makamu approved payments exceeding R1b to companies connected to them and directed Maluleka to employ their relatives.

The Office of the Premier strongly rejected the allegations.

“These assertions are entirely false and demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of government operations. Municipal councils and managers operate independently and do not report operationally to the Premier or MEC,” the statement read.

It added that the premier may only intervene under specific circumstances, and the claims appear to be part of a deliberate smear campaign rather than a genuine enquiry.

Ramathuba has escalated the matter to law enforcement, and both offices have urged the public to disregard misinformation and rely solely on official communication channels.

“These baseless allegations are a smear campaign designed to confuse residents and undermine stability,” the Premier’s Office said.