Red flags hover over Ekurhuleni trio
The ANC alliance in the East Rand metro is split over the ‘irregular’ hiring of three bigwigs
Ashowdown is looming over the controversial appointment of three senior officials in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg. It comes amid allegations of an irregular recruitment process and allegations of corruption.
Despite serious objections from ANC alliance partners and opposition parties, last month Ekurhuleni approved the appointment of Johannes Lesiba Mojapelo, Gugu Malaza-Duda and Isaac Mapiyeye to senior posts in the municipality’s executive.
Mojapelo was hired as the city’s chief operations officer, MalazaDuda as chief financial officer and Mapiyeye as chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police.
Weeks earlier, in a circular addressed to ANC provincial and regional secretaries Hope Papo and Teliswa Mgweba, and to their Gauteng counterpart in trade union federation Cosatu, Dumisani Dakile, the federation’s Ekurhuleni region pleaded for intervention.
The circular, which was sent by Cosatu Ekurhuleni cluster chairperson Chris Mavunda, has been seen by the Mail & Guardian.
In a press briefing called by the Ekurhuleni branch of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), a Cosatu affiliate, its chairperson Mavunda said all three appointments were being challenged “politically and legally”.
The union yesterday said it had exhausted “every internal effort to resolve the matter without success”.
Mavunda could not deny or confirm the union having sent the letter.
Dakile had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication while the Gauteng ANC said it was an internal governance issue.
In the document, Mavunda says that at a meeting in March of alliance partners in Gauteng — chaired by Gauteng ANC chairperson Paul Mashatile — Cosatu, “through its [Ekurhuleni] chairperson, raised serious allegations of irregularities in relation to the appointment of Mapiyeye”.
Mayor Mzwandile Masina was also part of that meeting, said a well-placed source in the metro, and concerns were raised about all three appointments.
In the letter, Cosatu’s Ekurhuleni region pleaded with alliance structures not to support Mapiyeye’s promotion because:
There were reports that the recruitment and selection processes had been tampered with to accommodate him;
He lacked the prescribed skills, expertise, competencies or qualifications;
His appointment was done in contravention
OOOof the Municipal Systems Act;
The appointment was in violation of section 15 of the Employment Equity Act;
He was “part of the current challenges faced by the department and thus failed to stabilise the department”; and
Politically he could not “be located” — and the position was understood to be one of “political deployment”.
The circular goes on to say that Cosatu’s Ekurhuleni region had also “learned with dismay” of the appointment of the chief operations officer and chief financial officer after “a heated council meeting”. “There are reports that both
OOOappointees are suspected of allegations of corruption,” says the letter.
Mojapelo left the Ekurhuleni government under a cloud in 2010. He resigned after being implicated in corruption allegations linked to World Cup legacy projects in the city, which he headed as special projects manager. Malaza-Duda was fired as SABC chief financial officer in 2014 after probes by the public broadcaster and the public protector into financial and procurement irregularities.
Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe said the appointments had been made after a thorough due diligence exercise was conducted. “The city did not uncover any legal impediment to the appointments,” he said.
Gadebe added: “It is clear that these allegations have been brought to the attention of the media by certain individuals with malicious intentions.”
The M&G also understands that Mapiyeye was appointed as the metro’s top cop after being the only candidate interviewed for the position.
This is said to have raised the ire of Mapiyeye’s superior, mayoral committee member Vivian Chauke. This week Chauke declined to comment, saying: “It’s an internal matter.”
“He [Mapiyeye] has been part of the department for the past 30 years. The current mess that is in the department, he is part of that mess,” said a source who asked not to be identified.
“Our view is that he is bringing nothing new,” Mavunda said. “The status quo will stay the same.
“There are comrades who report to him who are facing murder charges, but because they are close to him he is not taking disciplinary steps against them. There are comrades who are facing rape cases — he is not taking any action against them. Sexual harassment — he is protecting those people.
“Our view is that he is not going to address the challenges that are in the department.”
But Gadebe said five candidates had been interviewed for the position.
He said the city was not aware of the any protest on Chauke’s part against the newly appointed police chief. “However, it would not be uncommon that members of the [selection] panel debate the candidates,” Gadebe said.
Referring to Mojapelo, the source said: “There is a cloud hanging over him. That matter is not finalised. How can you give such a person such a high-ranking position with these question marks?”
Samwu said Malaza-Duda’s appointment was baffling because she had been found guilty of financial irregularities while at the SABC. And the contract of Malaza-Duda’s predecessor, Ramasela Ganda, had not been renewed despite two clean audits, said the source. “She stood in the way of corruption, so she was removed,” he said.
“It’s a serious challenge — we are hoping political interventions will resolve the issues. We are still waiting for a formal meeting with leaders because we are principled members of the ANC and shop stewards. We are ready to engage and find solutions,” Samwu said.