The Ratlou Local Municipality, nestled just outside Mahikeng in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District of North West, is facing a crisis of leadership, financial mismanagement, and questionable appointments.
At the heart of this storm is Lloyd Leoko, the municipality's municipal manager, whose appointment, driven by political influence and questionable qualifications, has plunged the municipality into a state of disarray.
Leoko's journey to the helm of Ratlou is a tale of questionable decisions and a blatant disregard for meritocracy. Despite failing his matriculation examination with four F symbols in six subjects, including English, Afrikaans, Geography, and Biology, Leoko was appointed as municipal manager, a position requiring a postgraduate degree and five years of experience in a senior managerial role, City Press has reported.
The appointment, sources say, was the result of cadre deployment, spearheaded by the ANC's provincial chairperson, Nono Maloyi, and the town's mayor, Matlhomola Jafta. Maloyi, who was the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs at the time, approved Leoko's appointment despite the red flags raised by his qualifications.
Leoko's post-matric qualifications, a degree and honours, obtained from Regent Business School and Mancosa, are also under scrutiny. The municipality has been unable to verify these qualifications, leading to further questions about his suitability for the role.
The consequences of Leoko's appointment are starkly evident in the municipality's financial status. The Auditor-General's latest report paints a grim picture, with Ratlou receiving its sixth consecutive disclaimer audit opinion, a testament to the municipality's financial mismanagement.
"This has come back to haunt both the party and government in the province because Leoko doesn’t know what he’s doing. How can you buy 22 laptops for R927 000 when the community doesn’t have basic service delivery?" lamented a government insider.
The purchase of the laptops, which cost a staggering R927 000, is just one example of the municipality's reckless spending. The municipality has also been paying salaries to 34 "ghost workers," costing the municipality a staggering R34 million per annum.
Leoko's lack of financial knowledge and experience has also led to the municipality's dire financial situation. The municipality is heavily reliant on grants from national and provincial government, with less than 3% of its budget allocated to service delivery.
"Our municipality’s solely dependent on grants from national and provincial government. Our budget’s been unfunded for more than three consecutive years now. We have no means of collection revenue," said an official.
The municipality's spending on non-essential items, such as bottled water and high mast lights that have been non-functional for two years, further highlights the mismanagement of funds.
Leoko, however, defends his actions, arguing that he is qualified for the position and that the municipality has followed the correct procedures for his appointment.
He maintains that the matric results are not a determinant for the position of municipal manager and that the advertisement never specified that individuals with four Fs on their matric certificates could not apply.
"The matric result isn’t a determinant for me having become the municipal manager. Actually, it’s an encouragement that one’s initial condition doesn’t determine one’s destination. I must be congratulated for refusing to be judged by my past record," he said.
Leoko's defence, however, fails to address the concerns raised by the municipality's financial woes and the questionable circumstances surrounding his appointment.
The municipality's financial situation, coupled with the lack of transparency surrounding Leoko's qualifications, raises serious questions about the effectiveness of governance in Ratlou.
The municipality's residents are bearing the brunt of this mismanagement, with basic services like water and sanitation severely lacking.
