Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Tim Mpakathe and Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Dewald Hattingh
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Mantsopa Local Municipality will formally demand the immediate reversal of the unlawful appointment of the Human Resources (HR) Manager, as this illegal action continues to undermine good governance and directly harm service delivery to the community. Residents are affected because essential municipal services are delayed and poorly managed due to these irregular appointments.
On 22 September 2025, the DA wrote to the Municipal Manager requesting the swift filling of the long-vacant HR position, which has remained unoccupied since July 2024. A follow-up letter was sent on 17 November 2025 after the DA discovered that the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Manager had been irregularly appointed as the new HR Manager, leaving the IDP position vacant and disrupting critical municipal planning functions.
The appointment of the new Human Resource Manager is unlawful and did not follow the proper process of the Municipal Staff Regulations. The vacancy was last advertised in January 2025, and the municipality failed to appoint a suitable candidate from the applicants.
The appointed Human Resource Manager does not have the required educational qualifications to occupy that position.
- In terms of the Municipal Staff Regulations 12(1)(b), no person may be appointed as a staff member on a fixed-term contract, permanent basis, or probation, to any post on the approved staff establishment of a municipality unless he or she possesses the relevant competencies, qualifications, and experience.
- Regulation 13(1)(b) says a person appointed as a staff member must, where applicable, comply with the minimum requirements for education qualifications, work experience and knowledge.
We will not keep quiet when elements of the ANC’s cadre deployment policy are unfairly implemented to deny qualified people the opportunity to serve the residents of Mantsopa.