The City of Ekurhuleni is teetering on the brink of a full-blown administrative meltdown, with a former senior official now threatening urgent legal action over what he calls a “rigged and unlawful” process to select the metro’s next municipal manager.
The allegations from former Chief Operating Officer (COO) Lesiba Mojapelo paint a picture of an administration where political loyalty is trumping professional merit, threatening the stability of a metro that controls billions in public funds.
The Whistleblower’s Demand: Transparency and Accountability
In a formal letter to Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, Mojapelo has laid down a gauntlet. He alleges that the selection process for the city’s top administrative post has been deeply flawed from the start. His own application was inexplicably excluded, while “less-deserving candidates” were shortlisted for interviews.
Citing the Constitution and the Municipal Systems Act, which demand a professional and transparent public administration, Mojapelo has given the city an ultimatum. He has demanded written reasons for his exclusion, the full list of candidates, scoring sheets, and minutes of the panel’s deliberations.
Failure to provide these, he warns, will result in an urgent court application to interdict the entire process. He has also promised to seek personal cost orders against officials he accuses of acting in “bad faith.”
A Pattern of Defiance and “Unlawful” Appointments
This is not an isolated incident. Mojapelo’s complaint echoes a recent finding from the national Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa.
In May, Minister Hlabisa informed Gauteng authorities that the appointment of the metro’s current Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Kagiso Lerutla, was unlawful. The minister’s letter detailed how the post was incorrectly advertised and the selection panel was improperly constituted.
Despite this clear directive from the national government, sources allege the metro has defiantly allowed Lerutla to remain in office and even act as city manager. This open defiance of a ministerial order suggests a deep-rooted culture of impunity.
The Stakes: Billions in Tenders and Strategic Control
Why does this matter so much? According to insiders, this is not just about one job title. It is a high-stakes battle for control over the city’s procurement, tenders, and strategic decisions worth billions of rands.
One senior official lamented that “Ekurhuleni’s appointment processes have become a theatre of political patronage and merit no longer determines who leads departments, loyalty does.”
This systematic sidelining of experienced professionals in favor of politically connected individuals directly undermines service delivery and governance stability, leaving residents to suffer the consequences of a compromised administration.
With the council set to convene and Mojapelo’s lawyers poised to act, the city faces a critical choice: adhere to the law and restore integrity, or plunge deeper into a legal and administrative crisis that threatens its very ability to function.
{Source: TheCitizen}
