Cogta head, Mokete Duma, confirms word on the ground that the investigation into the Municipal Manager Thamae Masejane’s conduct, and the report with recommendations, has been completed. His comment comes after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Chief Whip in the Free State Legislature, David van Vuuren, demanded - in a statement released earlier in the year - access to the report, alleging the DA and the council as a whole has been waiting eight months for it.

According to the Mantsopa Local Municipality's spokesperson, Pule Lechesa, it was the municipality that asked Cogta in 2020 to assist them with the investigations into the alleged financial misconduct. A team from the department was thereafter appointed to thoroughly investigate the allegations levelled against Masejane. 

Lechesa says the “appointed team went to Ladybrand to interview different people, that included ward councillors in mid to late 2020. As we know, there are two sides to every coin. The Municipal Manager (MM), Mr Thamae Masejane, was asked to table his defence in writing and he has already done that”. 

It is not yet clear when the report will be tabled before council, despite the confirmation of its conclusion by Cogta.

Masejane also stands accused of being at the helm of financial mismanagement at Mantsopa, with the municipality’s electricity bill allegedly ballooning to R227 million.

The OFM News team recently visited the Thaba Phatswa settlement, which falls under Mantsopa, and spoke to residents Harry De Wee and Abraham Evans regarding their service delivery frustrations. Evans alleged residents are forced to travel as far as 5km to access water. 

It was reported that water tankers have been availed by the municipality in the area to assist in this regard.

De Wee, whose home is located in an uphill part of Thaba Phatswa, says he and his family make sure to fill up their bath tub with water on the rare occasions they do get access to water, just so that they have enough to flush their toilet. He says when they take the matter up with the financially constrained municipality, they are informed that the problem lies with water infrastructure in the area, which makes it difficult for the water to be pumped up the hilly parts of the settlement.

OFM News