Mail & Guardian reports that residents of the Matlosana local municipality in North West have approached lawyers to force the municipality to remove its municipal manager, claiming that he failed to disclose his alleged criminal record.  

Theetsi Nkhumise was seconded to the municipality in 2016 as acting municipal manager while the municipality was under administration.  That position was made permanent in May 2017.  The advertisement for his job was very clear that the applicant must not have a criminal record.  But Nkhumise allegedly has a criminal record for a tax-related crime.  It has taken concerned citizens to force the municipality to start an investigation into why he was able to be appointed without declaring it.  The matter has also been reported to the Hawks, who have confirmed that an inquiry has been opened.  The municipality, which includes the once-bustling mining town of Matlosana (formerly known as Klerksdorp), went into partial administration in 2013 and then full administration in 2014.  This was because of extensive corruption in numerous departments, as well as infrastructure backlogs and ghost employees draining the fiscus.  It only came out of administration in 2016.  But some residents say the clean-up process is being undermined by the appointment of a municipal manager whom they say has a criminal record.

• Read the full original of Athandiwe Saba’s report on the above story at Mail & Guardian

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