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Setsoto in spotlight again, mayor ousted

───   KATLEHO MORAPELA 15:14 Wed, 14 Apr 2021

Setsoto in spotlight again, mayor ousted | News Article
PHOTO: municipalities.co.za

The embattled mayor of the Free State Setsoto Municipality, Komane Koalane, has been removed.

Koalane was voted out through a secret ballot earlier on Wednesday. The motion to have Koalane removed from office was brought by the Civil Movement United Front of Civics and supported by other opposition parties in the council. The financially troubled municipality is again making news just weeks after it came in the spotlight over its Municipal Manager debacle.

Last month, OFM News reported on how the troubled municipality will soon have to provide the Public Accounts and Finance Committee with a detailed report regarding vacant strategic positions in the municipality. It got heavily criticised for not separating the duties of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Municipal Manager (MM). It was revealed before the Legislature's committee in March that the Municipality’s CFO, Nicolas Lefa Moletsane, has been appointed as the Acting MM and has been working in both positions.

The committee, led by the Chief Whip of the Free State Legislature, Vusi Tshabalala, lambasted the municipality for this, highlighting that it is “going to cause serious problems for the municipality”. Tshabalala said the entire council is liable for the debacle and the municipality must take swift action regarding the position of the CFO and MM.

Moletsane has been fulfilling the duties of the Municipal Manager months after the municipality made national headlines over the suspension of Nthateng Maoke regarding issues with her citizenship. She was suspended following allegations that she is a Lesotho citizen and was wrongfully appointed by the municipality.

The municipality, also in trouble over a lack of service delivery and the high number of bucket toilets, as indicated in the latest Non-Financial Census of Municipalities released by Stats SA, will now have to see to it that they have a new mayor as well.


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