Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba has dismissed allegations of corruption in the Mogalakwena local municipality.
A post circulating online, initially posted by a Facebook account under the name of Tshepo Ledwaba, alleged municipal manager Morris Montengo Maluleka claimed he was instructed by certain people, including Ramathuba and co-operative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs MEC Basikopo Makamu, to sign off transactions of millions of rand at the Mogalakwena local municipality on behalf of their companies and to hire their family members.
The Facebook account was deactivated.
After that, another Facebook account named “Mogalakwena Corruption” and a parody account on X known as @generalmkhwanaz posted the same allegations with screenshots of invoices.
“I want the public and my family to know about this because anything might happen to me and you must know who might be responsible for my death,” the post read.
My name is Morris Montengo Maluleka, the Municipal Manager of Mogalakwena Local Municipality. I want the public and my family to know about this because anything might happen to me, and you must know who might be responsible for my death.
— Commissioner General Mkhwanazi (@GeneralMkhwanaz) August 17, 2025
If anything happens to me, the following… pic.twitter.com/V353Y0umOU
Ramathuba's spokesperson Thilivhali Muavha said the allegations are not true.
“The office of the premier wants to be clear: these assertions are false,” Muavha said. “They reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the operational dynamics in government. Municipal councils and their municipal managers operate independently and do not operationally report to the premier or the MEC.”
The premier does not interfere in local government matters and can only do so under specific circumstances. There is no legal authority permitting the premier or the MEC to instruct municipal managers on operational tasks.
“Thus the allegations are not only unfounded but appear to be part of a deliberate smear campaign rather than a genuine inquiry into the truth. Worse, some of the transactions said to be part of what is reported date back to 2023, long before the premier was elected to this position.
“Even if a municipal manager receives a directive from the mayor, he is duty-bound to refuse any illegal orders. Consequently these allegations are not only baseless but also lack any understanding of local government operations.”
Ramathuba has escalated the matter to law enforcement agencies to investigate.
The municipality has also distanced itself from the “fake” accounts making the allegations.
“Despite opening a criminal case for further investigations, as the municipality, we believe these are actions of opportunists who have been spending sleepless nights trying to remove the municipal manager, who has brought stability and made bold decisions in the best interest of the institution,” municipal spokesperson Malesela Selokela said.
The municipality clarified the municipal manager does not have a social media page, asserting the information contained in that account is “fabricated, misleading and devoid of any truth”.
“The unauthorised creation of a Facebook account under the name of the municipal manager is malicious and is just another dubious act by unscrupulous individuals to confuse the community.”
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