POLOKWANE – Residents of Ward 8 in Ext 44 opposite Westenburg staged a protest last Wednesday over what they called corruption and political bias in the recruitment of workers for a major road rehabilitation project in the area.

The protest follows the Polokwane Municipality’s appointment of a contractor to rehabilitate roads in Ext 44. While the contractor was appointed by the municipality, residents allege that the process used to select Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers was marred by political bias and nepotism.

Residents allege that ward councillor Makhasane Mabote told residents that ANC members would be prioritised for EPWP jobs, while residents known to support other political parties would be excluded. They further allege that family members and associates of the councillor were prioritised.

Councillor refutes allegations

Mabote refuted the allegations when approached for comment, saying he was not allowed to talk about his organisation in meetings.

“Let them give you names of any of my family members or any associates that are working there. There is no such,” he said.

Mabote said the selection was conducted through the “huduga-huduga” method during a community meeting. The random selection process, he said, was intended to ensure fairness, with ward committees convening meetings through formal invitations.

Municipality clarifies selection process

Municipal spokesperson Willy Mosoma clarified that the 21 EPWP workers in Ward 8 were not directly appointed by the municipality, but engaged by the appointed contractor.

He said the municipality’s Recruitment of Casual and EPWP Workers Policy therefore does not directly regulate the contractor’s employment relationship with the workers. The process, however, was expected to be guided by EPWP recruitment guidelines requiring fairness, transparency and inclusivity.

According to Mosoma, the selection was conducted through a community engagement process using a spin-and-pick mechanism intended to promote transparency. Following the process, the list was compiled by the ward councillor.

No formal complaints received

He said no formal complaint alleging political bias, nepotism or familial favouritism had been received, but the municipality takes the concerns seriously.

Residents alleging that friends or relatives of the councillor benefitted from the process have been urged to provide names and details so that the claims can be verified.

Municipality: No political patronage

Mosoma said the municipality’s public participation unit supports community participation and that selection mechanisms such as a yes/no process or randomly selecting identity numbers from a container are intended to prevent opportunities from being allocated at an individual’s discretion.

He stressed that municipal employment opportunities must never be used as instruments of political patronage.

Councillors are accountable through council governance structures, with councillor-related matters falling under the office of the speaker.

Mosoma said the municipality remains willing to follow up on substantive allegations through the appropriate institutional channels to maintain public confidence in the recruitment process.