SDM’s CFO employment terminated
GROBLERSDAL – Sekhukhune District Municipality Council approved the termination of employment of its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mpho Mofokeng during a special council meeting on Thursday, 18 February 2021.
According to the district municipality, the termination of Mofokeng’s employment was mutually agreed to by both the employer and the employee.
Mofokeng was put on precautionary suspension in August 2020, after service providers were irregularly awarded appointment letters for borehole contracts.
The CFO at the time was acting municipal manager of the district municipality. He was charged with three months as per applicable regulations.
The district municipality said the parties had exchanged documents and were ready for prosecution of the matter. However, the parties reached mutual agreement to part ways amicably.
The municipality said that would save it money, as it would not have to pay Mofokeng a salary, as he remained on suspension, while the matter dragged on for a period unpredictable.
The Bolsheviks Party of South Africa (BPSA), an opposition in SDM Council, welcomed the termination of the CFO’s employment.
Seun Mogotji, BPSA leader, said the termination of the CFO’s employment would save the district municipality a lot of money as he was paid while at home and the Acting CFO also paid.
Mogotji appealed for the district municipality to also look into other pending cases of a similar nature and advertise the post of CFO for the public with immediate effect.
“Yes we agree with the decision. His contract was to expire in 2024. It is cost effective as we are to pay him a salary of 6 months,” said Mogotji.
Solomon Maila, DA Sekhukhune Caucus leader, said the DA was deeply concerned about the high staff turnover at the district municipality, especially at senior management level.
Maila said since the election of the fourth council in August 2016, SDM has had two CFOs who were appointed on five-year contracts but could not even complete two years on the job.
“The first CFO left within three months of appointment. We have lost count of the number of officials in the finance department who were appointed to act in the position of CFO over the last four years. The same is true for the position of the Municipal Manager. The DA believes that the best performing municipalities across the country are those whose political leadership collectives are committed to the creation of stable environment for their administrations. Good corporate governance is impossible in a municipality that is administratively unstable,” said Maila.