The DA in Johannesburg rejects the appointment of Lesiba Malotana as the new Head of Department of Public Safety.
This candidate is currently the subject of an SIU investigation, in which he is allegedly involved in the infamous Tembisa Hospital tender scandal and more.
In October last year, Premier Panyaza suspended Malotana from the Gauteng Provincial Government in his role as Acting Head of the Gauteng Health Department after he failed his lifestyle audit.
The SIU found that he was a “high risk” and had received R1.6 million in questionable cash payments.
Instead of being charged with maladministration and improper conduct, Malotana got off scot-free. He also escaped an alleged PPE corruption contract scandal while he was a member of the committee that authorised those contracts.
Premier Lesufi appointed Malotana in June 2024, despite a pending SIU investigation into allegations that he shared R10 million in bribes with two other officials to influence tenders.
Another scandal he allegedly oversaw involved hundreds of cancer patients who did not receive radiation treatment, despite there being an available budget.
Appointing Malotana, who has been suspended and is mired in scandal and allegations of maladministration, will be a disaster for the struggling Joburg Public Safety Department.
The City substantiated to Council that it had received legal counsel regarding the consideration of Malotana, which recommended additional appointment conditions based on his pending investigations.
Out of the top three candidates, the City has chosen to appoint the riskiest candidate, while the other two candidates had no negative security risks detected.
As outlined in the DA manifesto 2026, if elected, we will strive to build corruption-free and professional municipalities by appointing competent people based on merit, not political connections.
Joburg needs credible leadership to turn around the crumbling City now more than ever, not political appointments that will drive further chaos in the City.
We will continue to oppose decisions that undermine merit-based appointments and will use every available oversight mechanism to hold the municipality accountable for decisions that are not in the best interests of residents.