Johannesburg - The cash-strapped Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) in Limpopo appointed Virginia Maphuthe as the acting director of corporate services for 3 months, she began her duties on January 1st 2020.
Maphuthe was hired by the municipality from 2004 as a revenue clerk. She is taking over from Morage Jameson Tshilwane, who also acted as a director of corporate services from 19th September 2019.
The Sunday Independent has established that Maphuthe had been the revenue clerk from 2004 until 2019 before she was appointed as acting director of corporate services. She holds a National Diploma in Human Resource Management which she completed with Technikon Northern Gauteng in 1999.
The minimum requirements to occupy the position were that the candidate must have at least have a bachelors degree in Public Administration, Management Sciences, Law or equivalent, and at least 5 relevant experience at a middle management and have proven succesful institutional transformation within public or private sector.
A source within the municipality alleged that the municipality had no intentions to appoint a permanent director who will have complete powers of that position.
“They are putting their stooges so that they are able to micro-manage them,” the source said.
The DA raised concerns regarding the appointment.
“The bone of contention is not only on her qualifications but on her experience as well. Provisions of Section 56 (A) of the Municipal Systems Act were not adhered to, particularly on the issue of skills, expertise and experience,” said DA Councillor Letlhabile Kgwedi.
FTLM Spokesperson Kubane Tolo said: “The councillors appoint officials in a Council Sitting. People complaining should take the matter to the Council. As officials, we implement Council resolutions.”
Tolo was referring to the Council resolutions of December 12 2019 where Maphuthe was appointed.
According to 56 (1) of Act 32 of 2000, the person appointed by the Council is accountable to the Municipal Manager, a person appointed must have at least relevant expertise, skills and competencies as prescribed. However, the minister can waiver an appointment if the person does not have relevant requirements.
The internal source revealed to the Sunday Independent that the CV and qualifications of the incumbent, Maphuthe, were not presented at the Council as it is required.
“We had to go and use illegal means to obtain her CV because we knew that something was not right about this appointment. They want to appoint their stooges because that directorate is responsible for the Human Resource and legal matters of the municipality,” said the source.
The source alleged that some within the municipality wanted to hire their friends and family members and also bring their prefered law firms to manage court cases the municipality was involved in.
The municipality has recently lost two major labour disputes.
The SA Local Government Bargaining Council ordered the cash-strapped municipality to pay Charity Rabada an amount of R1.5 million. The municipality’s property was attached in November 2019, Rabada was paid her money and retrospectively reinstated back to her position as HR manager.
The municipality had hired Dorah Phehla before the conclusion of Rabada’s labour case, this means that the municipality has two people working in one position, earning separate salaries.
Shadrack Tshidontolo was also fired by the municipality, he was retrospectively reinstated in his position as a manager of town planning.
The Limpopo municipality has irregularly invested R245 million to the doomed VBS Mutual Bank.
The DA is threatening to challenge the appointment of Maphuthe, they will be writing a letter to the Office of the Speaker.