Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Linda Louwrens and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr David Nzunga.
The DA in Moqhaka will submit questions to Council and engage the municipal officials to establish why Moqhaka Local Municipality has failed to fill critical senior management positions after more than five years, and to press for a lawful and transparent appointment process.
Despite repeated advertising and recruitment processes, the municipality has not yet made permanent appointments to several key senior management positions. During last week’s Council meeting, it was briefly indicated that the Acting Municipal Manager is currently conducting interviews as part of yet another recruitment process.
The prolonged failure to appoint competent, permanent senior managers has left Moqhaka in an unacceptable, unstable position. The municipality is currently led by an Acting Municipal Manager who is simultaneously serving as Director of Corporate Services. This appointment itself is under scrutiny after the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) instructed the municipality to rescind the appointment due to concerns over its legality.
The absence of permanent senior managers has severely weakened accountability within the municipality. Without duly appointed Section 56 managers responsible for key departments, there is no one to take responsibility for service delivery failures, financial mismanagement, or the collapse of basic municipal functions. Acting appointments cannot continue indefinitely while residents suffer the consequences of poor governance.
Moqhaka continues to experience persistent failures in water supply, electricity infrastructure, refuse removal, road maintenance, and financial administration. These failures are symptomatic of a municipality without stable leadership and effective oversight.
The DA believes that the ANC-led administration has failed residents by allowing this leadership vacuum to continue for years. Senior management appointments should be based on competence, integrity, and compliance with the law, not political considerations or endless delays.
Residents deserve a municipality with accountable leadership capable of restoring service delivery and rebuilding public confidence.
The DA calls on the municipality to urgently conclude a lawful and transparent appointment process for all vacant senior management positions and to ensure that those appointed possess the necessary qualifications and experience to lead Moqhaka out of its current crisis.