Ailing Metsimaholo Municipality gets saviour

By: Sello Theletsane

A highly qualified and a decorated manager has been deployed as acting municipal manager to save the troubled Metsimaholo Local Municipality in the Free State. The municipality was established in 2000 through the amalgamation of the then Sasolburg, Deneysville and Oranjeville Transitional Local Councils.

Motsumi Mathe (51) was seconded to the municipality by the executive council of the province as a strategic intervention to support an ailing municipality into good governance. He has served in local government for almost a decade, and as the director (Municipal Systems) at the Sedibeng District Municipality, he managed to lead the district into achieving a ‘clean audit’ opinion from the auditor general, in three consecutive years.

Among his achievements, Mathe was in 2015, honoured by the Chartered Institute of Government Finance, Audit & Risk Officers (CIGFARO) which awarded him the National Performance Specialist of the Year, amongst all municipalities in South Africa. At the district, Mathe also served as acting Chief Operations Officer and managed five business units, headed by executive directors. Mathe also served as the chief executive officer (CEO) at World Education Network, focusing on youth development and matric bridging programmes in the Sedibeng region.

Mathe also conducted national community-based studies for the UNICEF and Nelson Mandela Foundation. He was Head of Department (HOD) Research & Sector Skills Planning at the ETDP SETA and a lecturer at graduate and postgraduate level (Research and Statistics) at North-West University/Vista.

Mathe completed a BSc degree, Honours, Masters in Social Sciences (Research) at the University of Zululand (UZ). He also holds a certificate in advanced management (Henley Management College (UK). He has written and published three books, two on Personal Mastery, titled “Take Control – you are what you think”, and “You control your future – mind over matter”.  The third one is a guidance piece on parenting, titled “Your child, Your business”.

Mathe’s appointment, in February 2020 at Metsimaholo as the acting Municipal Manager, saw him facing a long list of challenges in governance. A municipality governed in a coalition of seven parties, with no senior managers appointed in two years, a suspended municipal manager for two years, lack of systems, forensic investigation in wanton corruption. The municipality also has a history of non-compliance and non-performance coupled with low morale among its employees. Like many others, the municipality has to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, loss of revenue in water and electricity distribution, and serious political push-back against provincial intervention.

In the first ten months, the municipality was turning around, as systems were being introduced, and human capital relations were forming. Meanwhile, the Municipality was beset with endless court cases, Covid related lockdowns, and personal security threats, making the environment thrilling.

In Jan 2021, Executive Council requested Mathe to step aside as the Municipal manager’s suspension was lifted. He was called again in August 2021, after the municipal manager’s contract expired. Mathe says he is motivated to continue setting up good governance systems and build good employee relations. Mathe says: “People are a critical and key constituent in any successful developmental organisation.” Mathe believes that Metsimaholo has the potential to be the greatest municipality and be the first Free State municipality to achieve a ‘clean audit’ opinion.

“Metsimaholo can be the first municipality to generate its own electricity, to take advantage of the Vaal river and be the utmost tourist attraction in the Province and be in mutual partnership with local businesses,” says Mathe. He is adamant the municipality can attract sizeable investment into the area for job creation, mega infrastructure developments and sustainable revenue.

“Metsimaholo residents can play a critical role towards growth and development of this area through maximum participation in programs and initiatives towards sustainable agenda in South Africa and the diaspora,” says Mathe. He says: “Residents can start by contributing in voter education sessions, and overflowing voting stations during the coming Local Government elections. Thus, be led by choice, and not by default”.

Mathe is a husband and a father of four, residing in Vaalpark Sasolburg. He was born and educated in Boipatong, one OF the townships in the Vaal area. He acquired more than 25 years of experience in human capital, corporate governance and inter-governmental relations. Mathe is a published Author, Social Activist, and he is very passionate about leadership, research and development.