FREE STATE – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has laid criminal charges against municipal managers in three Free State municipalities, accusing them of serious failures in financial management, governance and service delivery.
The charges form part of a broader national campaign led by DA Parliamentary Leader George Michalakis, targeting 10 municipal managers across nine municipalities that the party says have repeatedly failed to meet basic financial and governance standards.
Six of the 10 targeted managers are in the Free State, with others in the Eastern Cape, North West and Western Cape.
Charges under the MFMA
Michalakis said on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, that he had laid charges under Section 173(1) of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
The section provides for criminal liability in cases involving, among other matters, gross financial negligence, material accounting irregularities and the submission of false or misleading information to the Auditor-General.
“The Free State has been looted to its bones by the African National Congress (ANC),” Michalakis said.
He said the MFMA provided an important mechanism for holding officials personally accountable for the management of public finances.
“I have today, under Section 173(1), laid criminal charges against three municipal managers in the Free State,” he said.
Four municipal managers targeted as opposition party steps up accountability campaign
The DA subsequently identified four municipal managers linked to its Free State action.
Masilonyana
The DA has targeted Mojalefa Matlole, municipal manager of Masilonyana Local Municipality.
According to the party, the municipality has struggled for a decade to produce credible financial statements and has repeatedly received poor audit outcomes.
The DA also alleges that Masilonyana has experienced problems with drinking-water quality, the improper use of government grants intended for indigent households and the appointment of employees whom the party says are not suitably qualified.
Nketoana
Mokete Solomon Nhlapo, municipal manager of Nketoana Local Municipality, is also facing charges.
The DA alleges that the municipality’s financial systems are insufficiently secured, creating opportunities for financial misconduct.
The party further raised concerns about pollution in the Vals River, saying the situation has become sufficiently serious to potentially trigger intervention by government departments.
It also criticised the municipality’s processes for vetting employees and verifying qualifications.
Maluti-A-Phofung
Two municipal managers associated with Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality have been named in the DA’s action: Futhuli Patrick Mothamaha and Advocate Motsoahae Matthews Mofokeng.
The DA alleges that the municipality has repeatedly submitted financial statements years late and continues to receive disclaimed audit outcomes because of deficiencies in the quality of its financial statements.
The party also alleges that Mothamaha has previously been arrested twice in connection with alleged MFMA violations involving security and electricity-transformer contracts.
The DA claims that, despite these incidents, he remains employed as a municipal manager at another municipality.
National campaign
The Free State action is part of a wider campaign in which the DA is targeting municipal managers it believes have presided over persistent financial and governance failures.
The party has also opened cases against officials in municipalities including Ditsobotla in the North West and Makana in the Eastern Cape.
The DA says the campaign is intended to challenge a culture in which officials accused of poor performance or misconduct are transferred between public-sector positions rather than being held personally accountable.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has previously noted that the laying of criminal charges does not automatically require a municipal manager to suspend duties or step aside.
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Officials remain entitled to the presumption of innocence, and any criminal allegations must be tested through due legal process.
Michalakis said the current situation was unacceptable to residents who rely on municipalities for basic services.
“Enough is enough for Free State residents, who deserve far better than abject failure in accounting for how public money is spent,” he said.
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