Opposition parties raise alarm over HODs salaries in Mangaung Metro

The recent rapid salary increases and appointments of Mangaung Metro Head of Departments (HODs have been deemed irregular and unlawful by opposition parties in council.

In a space of six months since, the appointments of the HODs, their salaries including the one of City Manager Sello More were increased exorbitantly.

This, despite Mangaung previously being under administration due to among others, poor administration management and mismanagement of funds.

Some political parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), have requested the Public Protector’s Office to investigate these developments.

The recent salary increases, at this cash-strapped municipality have raised eyebrows.

Most of the Mangaung HODs appointments, including More, took place late last year. Opposition parties in council are questioning their latest salary increases. While the appointment of More’s alleged best friend, Pule Molalenyane, has also been fingered.

Between March 26 and April 9th this year, Molalenyane reportedly held four managerial posts, comprising Labour Relations Manager, General Manager in Stakeholder Management, Acting HOD in Corporate Services and his current role of Acting General Manager in Human Resources Management.

The Democratic Alliance voiced their disappointment over More’s appointment as city manager. The party is also against the rapid salary increases.

“If you go and look at the requirements for appointments of HODs and for the salary scale that they have received now that was published in the media by the Freedom Front Plus, it seems that they don’t have the 10 years’ experience that is expected of them. Another concern is just remember everybody, that’s appointed and you accept the appointment as an HOD, there’s an appointment letter that you sign and you agree with the salary scale that you’re appointed on. Six months down the line, you don’t come and say but I have all these qualifications and I need to be appointed on a top scale,” says Dirk Kotze, Mangaung DA Caucus Chairperson.

The Economic Freedom Fighters disclosed that More has previously incurred R1.5 million in irregular expenditure when he was Acting Manager at the Lejweleputswa District Municipality. The party believes proper recruitment procedures were not followed.

“In Mangaung we’re having members of a cartel, who’re masquerading as public representatives. When you check the procedure that was done there, it was not followed properly and the very same HODs who are HODs in the municipality, most or all of them, they were scored low. All of them they went for second positions and the first candidates who were preferred by the panel, were not appointed, the cartel used its majority. Unfortunately, numbers do count in the Mangaung Municipality, you can have a proper vocab, if you don’t have numbers there’s nothing that we’re going to do. Like now, the very same appointments of HODs, we tried to act against but the cartel used its numbers to appoint the very same people,” says Mpho Ramatlama, EFF Mangaung Regional Secretary.

The Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats says developments within the municipality are disturbing but not surprising. The party believes the salary increases and appointments are political settlements. The Mangaung based party say regularisation of salaries was established to ensure that municipalities don’t waste funds.

“First and foremost, we must look into what are these appointments, what makes them irregular. You look at the advertisement, you look at the manner in which the processes were handled. They would tell you that all the processes were flawed with reference to the appointment of the City Manager. The very same appointments were done in a very distasteful manner. Most of these appointments are political settlements, factional battles taking over the office. In less than a year, these individuals have signed into contracts that says one will get R1.6 million per annum and in less than five months, there’s a report from the Executive Mayor requesting that it be increased to a maximum cap one,” says Zwelakhe Msabe, AASD Governance and Monitoring Manager.

The Mangaung Metro disputes all allegations, citing processes were done accordingly.

“Proper procedures were followed; HR process was followed. There was a condonement from the side of the MEC, so procedures were followed and we’ve worked within the policies, recruitment policy of the municipality. The other thing that you must also understand is that these are high or senior management posts, and everybody is bound to contest them. The mere fact that Mr More has been appointed as a City Manager is an indication that he has done his part in terms of qualifications, experience and the type of person that was needed in that post. If the council has endorsed those figures of senior managers, it means there was an agreement and the council is the highest decision-making body in the municipality,” says Qondile Khedama, Mangaung Municipality Spokesperson.

Political parties have sent various requests for intervention to the national and provincial Department of Cooperative Governance.

The Public Protector’s Office confirmed that investigations into the alleged unlawful and irregular appointments of some staff and managers at the Mangaung Metro Municipality are ongoing and they’re not able to make any further comments on the matter until the process has been completed.