Questions are mounting over the alleged fake qualification of a senior Mohokare municipal senior official.

ActionSA Free State provincial Chairperson, Patricia Kopane, said they called on the Zastron-based municipality to investigate the qualifications of one of its senior accounting officials who allegedly misrepresented the qualifications and citizenship to the municipality.

“We call on the mayor to request the official to produce his genuine qualifications necessary for his role,“ she said. “He is no stranger to controversy. He left a Limpopo municipality under a cloud for his alleged role in bankrupting VBS Mutual Bank. 

She claimed his appointment at Mohokare Municipality lacked both ethical conduct and merit, calling it a recipe for the entrenchment of patronage. “Left unaddressed, this recurring phenomenon threatens to further erode trust and credibility in public institutions, while also raising concerns about the potential misuse of taxpayer funds. 

“Consequently, these individuals receive substantial remuneration at the taxpayers’ expense, all the while constructing their careers and public profiles on the fraudulent basis of holding academic qualifications,” Kopane added.

OFM News reported that irate workers at the municipality were up in arms after their salaries were not paid.

A senior Mohokare official, who requested to remain anonymous, said the municipality is prioritising service providers with close contact with politicians and officials. The municipality allegedly received an equitable share of R28 million in July 2023. However, the mayor has defended the payments made to service providers.

OFM News/Lucky Nkuyane Daphné Morné/Corné/