The infighting between two factions within the ANC in Vhembe seems to be getting more intense, and the power balance may be shifting, judging by what happened during the Makhado Municipality’s Council meeting on Monday. Several ANC councillors ignored the ANC Vhembe Region’s instruction to boycott the meeting and went ahead to permanently appoint Godfrey Raliphada as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

The appointment of Raliphada as CFO is long overdue and follows a court ruling last year. The Limpopo High Court set aside the council resolution on 30 August 2023 to appoint Ms Mulatwa Thangavhuelelo as the CFO in disregard of the selection panel’s recommendations. The decision of the council was declared to be unlawful, unreasonable, and unconstitutional.

The decision not to appoint the most suitable candidate was driven by the ANC’s political management team in the province. They were severely criticised for this “irrational” decision, and the council also had to foot the legal bills of all parties when the matter went to court. Still, the politicians in power did not want to let go and allow a CFO to be appointed who was not deployed by them.

Monday’s council meeting was scheduled by the municipal manager, Mr Kent Nemaname, after the Speaker, Cllr Gumani Mukwevho Mtileni, seemingly refused to do so. The council has a legal responsibility to appoint a permanent CFO, and it is believed that a lot of pressure was exerted on officials and councillors not to postpone such an appointment again.

On Sunday, a day before the meeting, the regional secretary of the ANC Vhembe Region, Mr Rudzani Ludere, sent a letter to ANC councillors, instructing them not to attend the meeting. “It has come to our attention that there is a council meeting which was convened by some ANC councillors together with councillors from the opposition parties. All ANC councillors are instructed to distance themselves and not attend the council meeting scheduled for Monday the 22nd of July,” the letter reads.

A couple of councillors, such as the Speaker, Cllr Mukwevho Mitileni, and the Chief Whip, Sampson Baloyi, heeded the call, but most others ignored the instruction. The rift between the camp that includes the mayor and the camp that includes the Chief Whip and Speaker was very clear.

After the meeting, Mayor Dorcus Mboyi said that the absence of a permanent CFO was creating a number of problems for the council. She said the Auditor-General has also warned them that they must appoint someone permanently in this position because it will negatively affect the municipality’s financial status if they don’t.

The decision to appoint Raliphada in a permanent capacity as CFO was welcomed by the opposition parties.

Cllr Glenda Furumela, a councillor from the Democratic Alliance (DA), said that this is long overdue. “The DA was the only party that opposed the appointment of Ms Thangavhuelelo, not only because she was not the selection panel’s preferred candidate, but her performance as CFO of the Vhembe District Municipality is less than satisfactory,” she said.

Furumela pointed out that Raliphada has been acting in this position for two years and was the preferred candidate of the selection panel. “Under his financial charge, the municipality obtained an unqualified audit opinion and received awards for the most improved performance,” she said.

Cllr Wiseman Ramalwa of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also welcomed the “long overdue” appointment of the CFO. “We're just concerned that the decision to appoint him by council does not stipulate in clear terms who will be responsible for the cost in the court case,” he said. He noted that the current mayor, Cllr Dorcus Mboyi, was the Speaker when the initial decision not to appoint Raliphada was made. The EFF believes she, the current Chief Whip, Sampson Baloyi, and the former mayor, Cllr Samuel Munyai, should foot the bill for the legal costs incurred.

Ramalwa stated that the legal costs to defend the irrational decision amounted to around R4 million. They believe this money could have been much better utilized for service delivery.