Victory as court rules in favour of municipality

The North Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of the Mogalakwena Municipality against the case brought by the Department of Corporative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA).
CoGHSTA challenged the appointment of the Mogalakwena municipal manager Willy Kekana, planning and developmental services manager Mokopane Letsoalo and chief financial officer Malope Tshesane. CoGHSTA lost the case with costs.
In June the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in Limpopo also went to Labour Court challenging the appointment of the above mentioned managers and they also lost with costs.
The three men were appointed at a special council meeting on 21 July.
“We wish to take this opportunity to remind the public in general that after the appointment the Provincial Government had used SAMWU through its Provincial secretary to raise objection and dispute the appointments,” Mogalakwena Residents Association (MRA) spokesperson Thintha Mokhonoana said. “It became clear that the Provincial Government is bitter about the progress made in the municipality, their interests are clear with regards to our municipality is just to protect those implicated by the KPMG Report,” he stated.
CoGHSTA has lost with punitive to the tune of over R1 million which includes the cost of the two counsel, the senior and junior counsel respectively.  Thus far CoGHSTA has lost three cases, one against the MRA to put the municipality under administration in March and two cases against the municipality.
“Once the costs of this cases lost by CoGHSTA are taxed, it will come to millions which should have been used to provide services to the communities which they are failing in this respect,” the Mogalakwena Municipality said in a statement released by the municipal managers’ office. “The provincial government has just came out of ICU (administration), they should focus on getting the foot on the ground and leave Mogalakwena municipality as operations are running smoothly in the municipality.”
“It has been over five months the community of Mogalakwena have been awaiting for CoGHSTA MEC Mme Mmakoma Makhurupetje to take steps on the councillors who have put their hands in the cookie jar following the investigations of the KPMG report,” the statement read.