By Johnathan Paoli
The DA in Modimolle-Mookgophong has raised procedural issues over the recent ousting of Mayor Aaron Sebolai, saying it was a flawed process, and warning that the manner in which council acted could expose the financially embattled Limpopo municipality to legal and financial risk.
The DA political head for Modimolle-Mookgophong Local Municipality, Desiree van der Walt, said the party was “greatly concerned about the consequences” of Sebolai’s dismissal at a council sitting on Monday.
“Mayor Sebolai must face the consequences of his actions, but correct procedures must be followed to ensure accountability, including criminal charges,” she said.
The municipality confirmed that Sebolai was removed with immediate effect and that councillor Anna Mboweni was appointed as interim mayor until a new mayor is elected.
The DA’s objection is not to accountability itself, Van der Walt stressed, but to what the party views as a failure by council to follow due process, particularly in a hung council where decisions are closely contested and legally sensitive.
Sebolai’s removal follows a council resolution taken at the beginning of the month to investigate allegations of misconduct against him.
These allegations were referred to the Municipal Ethics Committee, which requested that the mayor respond formally.
According to both the DA and the municipality, Sebolai did not comply with this request and did not appear before the committee.
The ethics committee subsequently found him guilty on four counts of misconduct: failure to implement a council resolution relating to the issuing of an appointment letter for the municipal manager; interference in the administration after allegedly instructing the bank not to change municipal accounts, resulting in late payments to third parties; abuse of power for allegedly instructing officials to hire a courtesy vehicle for his use without council approval; and issuing unlawful instructions to write off his own municipal account.
The committee, however, did not recommend outright dismissal.
Instead, it proposed sanctions ranging from a formal warning and reprimand, to a fine, or removal from council committees.
According to the DA, it was during the Monday council meeting that the process became deeply problematic.
The ANC initially tabled a motion calling for Sebolai’s immediate dismissal as mayor, a move supported by ANC, EFF and Freedom Front Plus councillors.
DA councillors objected, arguing that the recommended sanctions did not include removal from office and that Sebolai retained the right to appeal.
While council reportedly agreed in principle that proper procedures should be followed, the ANC and EFF then proceeded to remove Sebolai from the executive committee (EXCO), effectively stripping him of the mayoral position. Mboweni was elected as interim mayor pending the next council meeting.
Van der Walt said her party objected again for the mayor’s right to appeal, adding that irregular decision-making could have “serious financial implications” for a municipality already struggling with service delivery failures and limited resources.
The DA said it would write to Limpopo MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Basikopo Makamu, requesting urgent intervention.
The party wants the provincial department to ensure that lawful procedures are followed to protect municipal funds and residents’ interests, while also ensuring that Sebolai faces appropriate consequences, including possible criminal charges where warranted.
The controversy surrounding Sebolai is not new.
In September, the DA accused the municipality’s leadership of deliberately postponing council and public participation meetings to avoid tabling reports containing serious allegations against the mayor.
A special council meeting scheduled for 29 September to consider a report by the chief financial officer and acting municipal manager on potential suspensions was cancelled less than 90 minutes before it was due to begin, after councillors had already travelled to Modimolle.
The DA said those postponements amounted to fruitless and wasteful expenditure and reflected dysfunction within the council, which has been hamstrung by internal divisions, particularly within the ANC.
Despite the DA’s objections, the municipality has defended its actions.
Municipal spokesperson Sello Tlhoela said the decision to remove Sebolai was taken in line with a council resolution and the recommendations of the ethics committee, noting that the mayor was given an opportunity to present his case but declined to do so.
Sebolai was elected mayor in 2023 by 17 votes to 11.
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