Co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Zolile Williams has seconded former Matatiele administration boss Lizo Matiwane to take over as acting municipal manager of the troubled Kumkani Mhlontlo local municipality.
Matiwane’s secondment was announced by the municipality, which includes Qumbu and Tsolo, on Monday.
He is expected to lead the administration for the next 12 months.
The Mhlontlo municipality was in the news recently after the arrest of six officials, among them suspended municipal manager Lungile Ndabeni, on charges of fraud and money-laundering amounting to R2.8m relating to an alleged ghost employee scheme.
Williams’ spokesperson, Pheello Oliphant, told the Dispatch on Tuesday that the MEC had acceded to a request from the council in seconding Matiwane to Mhlontlo.
He is expected to act in the top job until September 30 2027.
“His [Matiwane] assignment is to restore the stability and smooth running of the municipality [and] improve service delivery in line with the key performance areas of municipal managers,” Oliphant said.
“He must urgently attend to municipal grant expenditure, oversee project expenditures and ensure that the money does not return to the National Treasury in line with the risk adjustment strategy, fill the critical posts ... ensure operational efficiency, [improve] audit outcomes ... uproot fraud and corruption and provide high-grade, quality and reliable technical advice to council and the troika.”
Matiwane is also tasked with improving the municipality's administration and ensuring a smooth transition from the outgoing council to the new dispensation after the November 4 local government elections.
In addition to serving as municipal manager of the Matatiele local authority, Matiwane previously worked as Mhlontlo's corporate services director.
He also had a stint as a strategic planning and local economic development (LED) senior manager at the Nkonkobe local municipality (now Raymond Mhlaba).
Matiwane said he welcomed the secondment.
“I take it as part of the responsibility of the province to support the municipality.
"The intention is to stabilise the institution and bring back the confidence of all stakeholders.
“I have worked as a senior manager for strategic planning and LED at Nkonkobe for four years, served as director for corporate services at Mhlontlo from 2013 to 2018 and Alfred Nzo district municipality from 2018 to 2020 and went on to serve as municipal manager at Matatiele from 2020 to 2026.”
A long-serving DA councillor in Matatiele, Wonga Potwana, described Matiwane as humble, straightforward and a strategic decisionmaker.
“He is not a noisemaker. Yes, there were times we would be at loggerheads, but when he sees that you are calm, he would call you and come to your office and address you face to face.
"Indeed we [Matatiele municipality] lost a giant there in him and all that was because of the ANC-led council that wanted to force him to do certain things that were not right.
"I am glad he saved himself and left Matatiele,” Potwana said, adding that he was confident Matiwane would excel in his new role at Mhlontlo municipality.
The UDM's longest-serving councillor in Mhlontlo, Zakheni Nondaka, also welcomed the secondment, saying the party had long been calling for the municipality to be placed under administration.
He said it lacked leadership and the administration was in a state of paralysis.
“You saw the Hawks coming here and arresting people because of [alleged] corruption that is going on inside this institution.
"Hence we made a call long ago for an administrator to take over the running of the municipality,” he said.
Kumkani Mhlontlo municipal spokesperson Mamela Mangcotywa said Matiwane would work closely with the municipality’s political leadership, senior management and relevant stakeholders.
She said the council welcomed the support provided by the co-operative governance department and recognised the importance of strengthening co-operation and co-ordination between the province and local spheres of government in addressing institutional, administrative and service delivery priorities.
