Story audio is generated using AI
The DA is preparing to lay criminal charges against 10 municipal managers it has labelled the country’s “terrible 10”, accusing them of presiding over years of financial mismanagement, weak controls and failures in basic service delivery.
DA parliamentary leader George Michalakis and Cogta spokesperson Marina van Zyl announced the planned charges at a media briefing on Thursday, saying the officials had been identified through adverse auditor-general findings and repeated failures to comply with financial accountability requirements.
Michalakis said the DA would pursue charges under the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), arguing that municipal managers should not be “recycled” into new positions after overseeing the deterioration of municipalities.
“If you are from one of these municipalities and you do not have water, you do not have streetlights, you do not have a working sewage system, these are the faces” responsible for the failures, Michalakis said.
Van Zyl said the charges would be pursued under section 173(1) of the MFMA, which provides for criminal consequences where municipal managers are grossly negligent, ignore material irregularities or provide false information to the auditor-general.
“They have the power to make or break a municipality. And yet, when they do wrong, consequences rarely follow,” she said.
The DA’s list covers municipalities in the Eastern Cape, Free State, North West and Western Cape.
Among those targeted is Pumulele Maxwell Kate of Makana local municipality in the Eastern Cape, which the DA said had received seven consecutive disclaimer audit opinions. The party accused the municipality of failing to address financial mismanagement, weak expenditure controls and material irregularities involving wastewater and landfill sites.
Sunday’s River Valley municipal manager Thabiso Klass was also singled out after seven consecutive disclaimer audits. The DA accused him of failing to provide the auditor-general with documents on corrective measures and presiding over deteriorating revenue controls and landfill management.
In the Free State, the DA targeted municipal managers in Masilonyana, Nketoana and Maluti-a-Phofung.
Michalakis said Masilonyana had received disclaimer audit opinions for a decade and accused municipal manager Majalefa Matlole of failing to budget adequately for indigent households despite the municipality receiving R111m in equitable-share funding.
He said only R31m had been budgeted to serve more than 16,000 indigent households.
At Nketoana, the DA accused municipal manager Moketi Solomon Nhlapo of allowing unrestricted access to financial systems, creating opportunities for fraudulent payments. The municipality also carries an Eskom debt of R883m, according to the party.
Acting municipal manager MS Mohale at Mohokare was accused of presiding over repeated disclaimer audits, material irregularities and financial losses, as well as failing to ensure that senior managers disclosed their financial interests.
In North West, the DA targeted Ditsobotla municipal manager Olaotse Bojosinvane, accusing him of nine years of audit failures and failing to budget for more than 39,000 indigent households despite R115m being allocated for them.
Kannaland in the Western Cape was the only Western Cape municipality on the list. Its municipal manager, Dillo Sereo, was accused of tender-related failures, including issuing tenders before obtaining quotations and failing to monitor contracts.
The DA named two officials at Maluti-a-Phofung, accusing the municipality of persistent failures to maintain accounting records.
The final name was Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality manager Olehile Allan Losaba, whom Michalakis said had been suspended for misconduct in 2025.
The DA accused Losaba of being implicated in an inflated R4.6m water-tanker contract and said the A-G had found him personally liable. It also cited R27m in wasteful expenditure and alleged irregularities involving security tenders.
Michalakis said a forensic investigation had been presented to the municipal council but ANC councillors blocked its adoption by preventing a quorum.
The DA said its campaign was intended to expose municipal failures while changing how local governments are managed.
Michalakis acknowledged that the list was not exhaustive and said the party had started with municipalities it regarded as the worst cases.
He rejected suggestions that the announcement, ahead of the November local government elections, was primarily political.
The DA would use the elections to try to reduce the ANC below 50% in struggling municipalities and position itself to take over their administrations, he said.
The DA said the criminal charges would be filed over the coming weeks and that it would continue using other accountability mechanisms, including working with the auditor-general.
The DA leaders defended publicly identifying the officials, saying residents had a right to know who was responsible for decisions affecting access to water, electricity and other basic services.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.