The former legal adviser of Masilonyana has once more dragged officials of the troubled municipality to court over the non-payment of his pension fund contributions.

On Sunday (29/9), the former legal adviser of the Masilonyana Municipality, Itumeleng Mogaecho, laid criminal charges against Municipal Manager Mojalefa Matlole and former Acting Municipal Manager, Michelle Sello, accusing them of financial irregularities related to his pension fund. Mogaecho alleges that both Matlole and Sello failed to make the required pension fund payments on his behalf during his employment at the troubled municipality from 2021 to February 2024.

“Every month, a portion of my salary is deducted for pension contributions, and it is the responsibility of the municipal manager to ensure that these deductions, along with the employer’s contributions, are paid to the pension fund. Both Matlole and Sello failed to meet this obligation,” Mogaecho stated.

In addition to the criminal charges, Mogaecho has lodged a civil case in the Masilonyana regional court to reclaim all the funds deducted from his salary, along with the municipality’s unpaid contributions. He accused Matlole of hiring lawyers, using public funds, to oppose his civil case. Mogaecho believes this legal opposition stems from a previous report he wrote, which implicated Sello in alleged corrupt activities.

“Apart from section 49 of the Pension Fund Act, making such a failure a criminal offence, it is also fraudulent to show salary deductions meant for the pension fund and not remit them. That’s why I’ve laid both criminal and civil charges,” he explained.

Mogaecho also accused Matlole of shielding Sello from facing consequences after an independent disciplinary board confirmed the allegations of corruption he had raised. “Instead of taking action against Sello, the municipality, through Matlole, Mayor Dimakatso Modise, and Sello herself, has chosen to victimise me for my report,” Mogaecho added.

Tensions have been brewing at the financially embattled municipality, with reports of Modise attempting to oust the Chief Financial Officer, sparking a backlash from municipal employees. 

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has since voiced its support for workers demanding Modise’s removal. Amid the growing unrest, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has launched a probe into alleged maladministration and misconduct within the Theunissen-based municipality.

OFM News reached out to the municipality for comment, but no response has been received.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi