Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Tjaart van der Walt and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally laid disciplinary charges against the Municipal Manager of Mangaung, Mr Sello More.
This follows findings by the Auditor-General, which revealed serious failures in financial management, including investigated irregular expenditure, weak internal controls, and a lack of consequence management. However, the charges extend beyond the AG’s report findings.
Despite these findings, accountability has not been enforced. The DA has acted because it has become clear that internal oversight structures, including MPAC, are not ensuring that consequences follow the 2024/25 audit outcomes, but rather protecting cadres at all costs.
These failures directly affect residents through financial losses, poor governance, and declining service delivery.
In simple terms, the charges argue that the Municipal Manager failed to do his job properly, failed to follow the law, and repeatedly failed to act when serious problems were identified.
This amounts to serious misconduct, financial misconduct, and gross negligence.
Under the law, the Executive Mayor must now table this matter before Council within 7 days, after which Council must decide whether to appoint an independent investigator. Similar charges brought by the DA against a former municipal manager in 2021 ultimately succeeded.
The DA calls on the Mayor to comply with the law and ensure that this process proceeds without delay.
Residents of Mangaung deserve an accountable government where wrongdoing and failing service delivery have consequences.
The people of Mangaung cannot afford continued failure without consequences.
‘Mangaung Can Work’ if residents register now to vote for the DA in the upcoming municipal elections.