Municipality goes to court to block corruption report

A scathing report ordered by North West governance MEC Gaoage Molapisi that flagged widespread maladministration has been rejected by the Tswaing municipal council. Photo: Tswaing municipality website.

• A scathing report ordered by North West governance MEC Gaoage Molapisi that flagged widespread maladministration has been rejected by the Tswaing municipal council.
• The council has also ignored an instruction to “initiate a process of revocation” of the appointment of three senior municipal officials.
• The Tswaing council speaker said the council is taking the matter to court as the investigative report lacks “administrative justice”.

The Tswaing Local Municipality has approached the high court in Mahikeng to challenge a scathing report that flagged “dangerously systemic” maladministration and corruption in the municipality.

The municipality is seeking to stop the immediate implementation of the Section 106 investigative report’s recommendations, pending a review of its findings.

North West cooperative governance MEC Gaoage Molapisi ordered Mayor Norah Mahlangu and the Tswaing municipal council to respond to the findings of maladministration regarding the appointment of high-ranking officials: chief legal officer advocate Lesang Lobakeng, acting municipal manager Borman Phutiyagae, and housing manager Mogale Morwe.

The report was ordered by Molapisi on the instruction of national governance minister Velekosini Hlabisa to look into the already financially distressed municipality, which is plagued by failures.

The report flagged a “fundamentally flawed” placement process that prioritised salary increases and promotions over community needs, with millions of rands in the cash-strapped municipality lost in the process.

The inquiry said Mahlangu and the council had failed in their “sacrosanct fiduciary duties”, which “if left unabated will collapse the administration of the municipality”, where roughly 130,000 people live.

The report also found that an “absolutely unreasonable” R47.6-million had been spent on litigation over five years.

Council rejects the report and MEC directive

On 20 April 2026, Molapsi advised Mahlangu to “initiate a process of revocation” of the appointments of Lobakeng, Phutiyagae and Morwe.

A special council meeting the following day to discuss the report became contentious after Lobakeng appeared as one of the presenters of the municipality’s plan of action.

Councillors from the opposition Democratic Alliance walked out. Councillor Carin Visser (DA) said, “Those implicated [were allowed] to be present and present in a statutory meeting where council is to discuss serious contravention of legislation and maladministration.”

In the agenda for a May council meeting,Tswaing speaker Sam Letlakane noted that the April meeting found the report “to be lacking administrative justice and devoid of accurate information”.

“Council rejected the report and decided to give their response to set the record straight for the MEC’s consideration, failing which the report will be legally challenged by council.”

“There will be financial implications [should there be] a resolution to litigate,” noted the agenda.

GroundUp contacted Mahlangu, Letlakane, as well as Phutiyagae, Lobakeng and Morwe. Lobakeng said that “the matter is now sub judice and we therefore cannot respond”. [This is a misinterpretation of the sub judice concept. - Editor]

He referred us to their legal representative, Benjamin Fihla of Fihla & Associates. He said they are seeking an urgent order to ensure the report “must not be implemented”.

Fihla said the legal dispute rests on allegations of procedural unfairness against those implicated before the MEC ordered the report’s implementation.

Molapisi’s spokesperson Lerato Gambu confirmed that the MEC will be opposing the matter.

He said that “possible civil action against those responsible for financial losses would be considered case by case by the office of the MEC”.

The MEC has recommended Dr Charli Mathupi to be acting municipal manager given that the incumbent is implicated in the report.

But currently the implicated officials are still in their positions and the MEC’s recommendations remain unimplemented.

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