North West legislature probes premier over alleged interference in municipal manager appointment

By Johnathan Paoli

The North West Provincial Legislature has established an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate allegations of improper conduct against Premier Lazarus Mokgosi following claims that he interfered in the appointment of a senior municipal official.

The committee’s chairperson, Nathan Oliphant, said Mokgosi will be called to appear before the committee in the coming weeks.

“It is alleged that the Premier of the North West province may have had some dealings or a hand in the recruitment processes of the municipal manager of Naledi Local Municipality, and that is being regarded as impropriety. For now, we are treating it as we would any case involving a member of the legislature who might have acted improperly,” Oliphant said.

The move marks a significant escalation in tensions within the province’s political landscape, as opposition parties warn against being drawn into the ANC’s internal battles while insisting that the process must remain transparent and impartial.

The allegations originated from Naledi Local Municipality mayor John Groep, who told Parliament’s Joint Portfolio Committees during an oversight visit last month that Premier Mokgosi had allegedly instructed a former municipal employee to alter a report relating to the appointment of municipal manager, Modisenyane Segapo.

According to Groep, Mokgosi, accompanied by three ANC members, met the former employee, Thabo Apolus, on his farm and allegedly pressured him to revise official documentation regarding the recruitment process, a claim that, if proven true, could constitute serious interference in local government administration.

The Ad Hoc Committee, established by a formal resolution of the provincial legislature this week, comprises four members from the ANC, one from the Democratic Alliance (DA), and one from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) legislator Lerato Tsholo will represent minority parties.

The legislature has instructed the committee to conduct a thorough investigation and