The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands an investigation into the alleged appointments of Executive Mayor Councillor Lerato Maloka’s two daughters and the daughter of the MMC for Finance, Bishop Jones, by the Sedibeng District Municipality’s licensing department. The appointment of family members must be thoroughly investigated to ascertain whether due process relating to recruitment procedures was complied with.
In a written response to questions from the Democratic Alliance (DA), the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo stated that 13 people have been appointed in the licensing department since 2021. He also provided a list of all individuals appointed by this department during that time. Mamabolo indicated that the positions were advertised on the Sedibeng Municipality’s website, circulated to all users via GroupWise, and posted on notice boards.
The MEC further states that he does not have information to confirm or deny whether any of the employees are related to any politicians serving as a sitting councillor in Sedibeng.
See the reply here.
The DA views the appointment of these three employees allegedly connected to Council Members as suspicious and concerning. This is because the municipality has a proven track record of hiring candidates with political connections rather than skilled individuals who could help revitalise the declining municipality.
The DA has consistently fought against nepotism, a practice that in Gauteng has become synonymous with favouring individuals with strong connections to those in positions of power during appointments. If there are any irregularities in the appointments in Sedibeng, this will prove the validity of our concerns. Politicians should not influence the appointment of staff, and those related to them should declare these relationships when appointed to positions.
The DA calls on MEC Mamabolo to urgently initiate an investigation into this matter. It is essential to determine whether the three individuals were appointed based on their qualifications or if their relationships with the Mayor and the MMC influenced their appointments. Additionally, we need to find out if these relationships were disclosed before the appointments were made.
If the MEC does not initiate this investigation, the DA will escalate the matter to the Public Protector to ensure action is taken.
Under the DA government, we will eradicate nepotism and biased hiring practices. This will ensure that every qualified job seeker gets a fair chance, creating equal opportunities for all to succeed.
We will continue to pressure COGTA for transparency in appointments within our municipalities, as this has a ripple effect on their failure to deliver quality services to all municipal ratepayers.