Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Dirk Kotze and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mangaung will refer serious allegations of recruitment manipulation within the municipality’s Corporate Services Directorate, particularly the Human Resources Division, to the Free State Provincial Legislature and the Parliamentary COGTA Committee for immediate investigation. The DA will further request a comprehensive written report from the City Manager on all appointments made since 2023 and call for an independent forensic audit of the hiring processes.
We have received alarming allegations from officials within the municipality’s Corporate Services Directorate, detailing extensive manipulation of recruitment and appointment processes.
According to an anonymous letter circulated to the Executive Mayor and all Councillors, HR officials are allegedly being pressured to make appointments without following legal and policy procedures. The letter claims that management routinely instructs staff to appoint predetermined candidates, alter job requirements to match specific individuals, renew expired contracts unlawfully, and advertise positions not included in the approved organisational structure. Officials who question such instructions are allegedly threatened and victimised.
These allegations point to deep-seated governance failures and a culture of political interference and intimidation within the administration. It appears that qualified candidates are routinely overlooked in favour of politically connected individuals, further weakening service delivery and staff morale.
We want to remind residents that in 2022, the then Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, conducted an oversight visit to Mangaung and directed that a full audit be undertaken into the appointment of ghost workers. To date, no such audit report has been presented to the Council or made public.
The continued absence of this report, along with the latest allegations of ongoing irregular appointments, suggests that no corrective action was ever taken following that ministerial intervention.
The DA has asked the City Manager (CM), Mr Sello More, to clarify how recruitment is checked for compliance with the Municipal Systems Act and Staff Regulations. We also want details on:
- Employees hired without competition since 2023,
- Any roles filled outside the approved structure,
- Changes made to qualification or job criteria,
- Safeguards against political or union interference,
- Consequences for staff who broke policy or law.
The DA is dedicated to clean governance, merit-based hiring, and professional administration in Mangaung. The collapse of municipal services is often tied to political interference and the deployment of cadres.
We recognise the officials who exposed these issues and remain committed to fair, legal, and transparent local government. Mangaung residents deserve honest service, not corruption.