ActionSA Notes the Appointment of Kiba Kekana as Acting City Manager, Calls for Enhanced Oversight and Good Governance
Press Statement by Cllr Lebo Modukanene
ActionSA CoJ Chief Whip
ActionSA’s Caucus in the City of Johannesburg notes the secondment of Mr. Kiba Kekana as Acting City Manager by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo.
Though we supported the resolution to extend the acting period under the provisions of Section 54A(6) of the Municipal Systems Act following the lapse of the six-month maximum acting period in good faith, it is important that we draw a clear distinction between supporting the principle of stabilising the administration through a secondment, on one hand, and endorsing the specific appointment of an individual with a questionable track record, on the other.
Mr. Kekana’s history is well documented, and his appointment is not consistent with the standards of clean governance that ActionSA espouses. His suspension in 2009 as City Manager of Tshwane and the subsequent multimillion-rand settlement over maladministration allegations raise serious concerns about his suitability for a role of such critical importance. Johannesburg deserves better than administrators with unresolved reputational baggage. The appointment of individuals with tainted pasts undermines public confidence in our institutions and does nothing to arrest the decay in the City’s governance.
This secondment also exposes a broader failure by the City to timeously conclude its recruitment processes. Acting arrangements, which should be temporary by design, have become the norm rather than the exception. The City has leaned heavily on extensions and legal loopholes to avoid making permanent appointments — a practice that erodes stability and accountability in governance.
We therefore reiterate ActionSA’s call for:
The urgent finalisation of the City Manager recruitment process, based on merit, integrity, and a track record of clean governance.
A transparent audit and review of all current acting appointments, including explanations for delays and verification of qualifications and performance.
An end to political deployments disguised as administrative secondments. Municipal governance must serve the residents, not party-political agendas.
Johannesburg faces pressing challenges in service delivery, infrastructure, and financial sustainability. These cannot be addressed while political considerations are allowed to trump competence and public trust.
As ActionSA, we will continue to use our oversight role in Council to demand transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership at every level of the City’s administration.
ActionSA Notes the Appointment of Kiba Kekana as Acting City Manager, Calls for Enhanced Oversight and Good Governance
ActionSA’s Caucus in the City of Johannesburg notes the secondment of Mr. Kiba Kekana as Acting City Manager by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo.
Though we supported the resolution to extend the acting period under the provisions of Section 54A(6) of the Municipal Systems Act following the lapse of the six-month maximum acting period in good faith, it is important that we draw a clear distinction between supporting the principle of stabilising the administration through a secondment, on one hand, and endorsing the specific appointment of an individual with a questionable track record, on the other.
Mr. Kekana’s history is well documented, and his appointment is not consistent with the standards of clean governance that ActionSA espouses. His suspension in 2009 as City Manager of Tshwane and the subsequent multimillion-rand settlement over maladministration allegations raise serious concerns about his suitability for a role of such critical importance. Johannesburg deserves better than administrators with unresolved reputational baggage. The appointment of individuals with tainted pasts undermines public confidence in our institutions and does nothing to arrest the decay in the City’s governance.
This secondment also exposes a broader failure by the City to timeously conclude its recruitment processes. Acting arrangements, which should be temporary by design, have become the norm rather than the exception. The City has leaned heavily on extensions and legal loopholes to avoid making permanent appointments — a practice that erodes stability and accountability in governance.
We therefore reiterate ActionSA’s call for:
Johannesburg faces pressing challenges in service delivery, infrastructure, and financial sustainability. These cannot be addressed while political considerations are allowed to trump competence and public trust.
As ActionSA, we will continue to use our oversight role in Council to demand transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership at every level of the City’s administration.