Sol Plaatje Municipal Manager Thapelo Matlala has commenced a 30-day leave of absence, a move that comes after intense pressure from a coalition of civic and business organizations demanding his immediate suspension.
The call for Matlala’s suspension has grown steadily since Tuesday, with community leaders levelling serious allegations of corruption, maladministration, and interference with supply chain processes against the senior official. The civic movements have further accused Mayor Martha Bartlett and Municipal Speaker Dipuo Peters of shielding Matlala from accountability.
The situation escalated on Sunday when leaders from various civic movements formally opened a criminal case against Matlala. This action was prompted by a recent investigative report in a weekly newspaper that detailed the alleged unprocedural nature of Matlala’s appointment and raised questions about corrupt activities.
In response to the mounting crisis, the Sol Plaatje Council held a meeting to address the allegations. The council resolved to give Matlala seven days to provide a formal response to the accusations and state why he should not be suspended. This decision has been met with firm rejection from the collective of community forums, who have vowed that it will “no longer be business as usual” until Matlala is officially suspended.
A spokesperson for the collective of community forums stated, “The whole city is saying we are tired of this one individual,” emphasizing that the groups are united in their demand for action. This sentiment has been echoed by local business forums, indicating broad-based concern.
The council’s decision has garnered mixed reactions from political parties within the municipality. One representative acknowledged the difficult position, stating, “As much as it is a bitter pill to swallow, we don’t have a choice but to accept the observation of the processes today from the council.”
A council spokesperson defended the move, stating, “We welcome the decision… whereby we have decided as a council that we will provide the MM [Municipal Manager] an opportunity to address the allegations being leveled against him.”
The executive council has acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations against Matlala. In a statement, it confirmed that it has considered the claims and maintains that “everything must be done by the book.” To that end, the municipality plans to enlist private investigators to conduct a full probe into all allegations, vowing to “allow the law to take its course.”
A spokesperson for the executive council said, “I think the council meeting went quite well and deliberated on the matter on the agenda. We’re satisfied with the outcome.”
Civic movements have stated they will observe the seven-day period granted to Matlala. However, they have issued a warning that if the council fails to act decisively afterwards, they will resume their protests and “get their line of march from residents,” signaling that the pressure on local government is far from over.
