EFF demands skills audit after ANCYL Treasurer General Zwelo Masilela's questionable appointment

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Mpumalanga are pushing for a skills audit of all municipal employees after it was discovered that Zwelo Masilela, the ANCYL Treasure General, held a senior researcher position in the Mbombela Municipality for five years without having any qualifications beyond matric.

The revelation that Masilela was appointed to the position without formal qualifications has sparked widespread condemnation from political parties and ordinary South Africans, raising concerns about the integrity of the hiring process within the Mbombela Municipality.

The EFF has also lodged a formal complaint with the Public Protector to investigate how Masilela managed to get the plum job.

After reporting the matter to the Public Protector, EFF's Mpumalanga Provincial Secretary Jackson Malatji now wants a skills audit to be conducted on all municipal employees in the province.

"We are calling for a skills audit in all the municipalities in Mpumalanga, especially in Mbombela where we have employees that do not meet the needed requirements," Malatji said in an interview with the SABC.

"Taking into consideration that on February 26 there was an interview in parliament where the said researcher, implicated himself that while serving in that position he did not have a post-matric qualification. That shows it's a violation of the the Municipal Systems Act, 32 Of 2000".

Malatji suggested that Masilela's appointment was just the tip of the iceberg in Mpumalanga and pointed out that they had also previously raised concerns about the Chief Executive Officer (CFO ) who had falsified his qualification in the same municipality.

"This overall problem that we have picked up in Mpumalanga, if you can recall last year we raised the issue of the CFO who has already been suspended, falsifying his qualifications he did not even have a post-matric qualification but was employed in the same municipality," Malatji added.

Mbombela Local Municipality, City Manager Wiseman Khumalo has insisted that the municipality was willing to cooperate with all law enforcement authorities.

“We have noted that the above said matter has since been referred to the office of the Public Protector and other law enforcement agencies and therefore, the municipality hereby commits itself to fully cooperate with all law enforcement authorities should they deem it fit to investigate," ," Khumalo said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, ANCYL, President Collen Malatji has defended Masilela stating that it was not his fault that he was appointed to the position of senior researcher in the Municipality.

IOL