The Ad Hoc Committee established by the North West Legislature to investigate allegations against Premier Lazarus Mokgosi opened its proceedings with a dramatic and often heated testimony from its first witness, Naledi Local Municipality Mayor Clifton Groep.
Groep spent the entire day before the committee answering a battery of tough questions about the long running controversy surrounding the appointment of Naledi’s municipal manager. The committee is scrutinising claims of political interference, irregular delays and internal party tensions that have shadowed the recruitment process since 2022.
At the centre of the inquiry is whether Premier Mokgosi, who previously served as the ANC Deputy Provincial Chairperson and head of the party’s Deployment Committee, may have influenced or been linked to attempts to sway the outcome of the appointment. Groep told the committee he had no direct evidence of interference by the Premier. Instead, he relied on screenshots of WhatsApp messages allegedly sent by former director Stabo Apollos, who appeared to suggest that senior politicians played a role behind the scenes.
Committee members pressed Groep on the reliability of this information, pointing out that much of his testimony was based on hearsay from other officials, including municipal employee Mr Sejaki and former director Apollos. They challenged the Mayor on whether he should have recused himself from the interview panel because of past working relationships with the preferred candidate, Mr Sehapo. Groep insisted he declared all interests and denied any personal benefit.
The inquiry heard that the appointment process became mired in confusion when the municipal report submitted to the MEC for COGSTA was allegedly replaced or intercepted, resulting in a letter from the MEC filled with factual errors. Groep argued that this flawed letter was later used in court to overturn the council’s appointment decision, triggering litigation that continues to this day.
Committee members highlighted that five distinct processes had collided over one post. Party deployment consultations, official recruitment procedures, MEC concurrence, several urgent court applications and an unexpected mediation attempt by an EFF national MP all contributed to a breakdown in administrative order. Members called the entire saga messy and questioned how political relationships may have shaped perceptions and decisions.
Throughout the proceedings, Groep maintained that the municipality followed every legal requirement in appointing the municipal manager and that the Premier did not interfere directly. He conceded however that the situation had become unstable and difficult to manage, especially after personal relationships deteriorated among key players involved in the process.
The committee will continue its work with additional witnesses expected to testify in the coming days. Its findings will determine whether Premier Mokgosi had any role in influencing the controversial appointment or whether the dysfunction was the result of internal disputes and administrative confusion.
The proceedings resume tomorrow, with the Legislature expected to dig deeper into the internal tensions that have shaken Naledi Municipality and raised broader questions about governance within the North West Province.