A senior manager, whose employment contract was rescinded earlier in 2025 after failing to produce his original matric certificate, has now taken the troubled Kumkani Mhlontlo Local Municipality to court in a bid to have his dismissal overturned.
Loyiso Yalezo, who had previously served as mayoral committee member and infrastructure portfolio head, was appointed as Mhlontlo’s integrated development plan and performance management system manager in early 2024.
The Dispatch, however, has seen a copy of a letter from municipal manager Lungile Ndabeni in late January to Yalezo demanding he submits his “ original grade 12 certificate for further investigation”.
“The Kumkani Mhlontlo Local Municipality issued an advert requesting a suitable candidate for the position. One of the prerequisites for the position is grade 12,” Ndabeni said.
“The municipality conducted vetting of the qualifications of each candidate.
“Your grade 12 certificate has a negative result and suggested that you submit your original grade 12 certificate for further investigation.”
This was to be done within a period of five days from the receipt of the letter.
In another letter in February, Ndabeni stated that Yalezo had failed to respond to some issues he had raised including providing the grade 12 certificate, a statement of symbols issued by Umalusi or at least a timetable in respect of the matric examination as well as any document to provide evidence that he had written the examination.
Ndabeni also expressed concern that the details of the copy of the certificate were inconsistent with the information Yalezo had provided in his CV in which he had alleged to have passed matric in 2017.
The copy apparently suggested that the matric certificate had been effective from July 2016. It also appeared to be a photostat PDF document.
He wrote that despite repeatedly offering him an opportunity to provide an original certificate, Yalezo had failed to do so.
He also informed Yalezo that the municipality intended laying a criminal complaint against him.
On Tuesday, Mhlontlo municipal spokesperson Mamela Mangcotywa confirmed Yalezo was no longer an employee.
She said a vetting company contracted by the municipality had discovered irregularities in relation to his matric certificate.
Asked why this was not picked up sooner, Mangcotywa said: “Mr Yalezo met the academic requirements as he possesses a Diploma in Local Government Law and Administration from the University of Fort Hare and a certificate in Municipal Finance Management from the Wits School of Governance and that made him meet the requirements that were needed on the advert.”
However, when contacted, Yalezo also confirmed he had taken the matter to the high court in Makhanda on April 1. They were now awaiting final judgment.
But he dismissed claims that he had failed to submit a certificate saying, “from the first day he instructed me to submit the certificate, I did that, but it seems he [Ndabeni] wanted something else because he kept on saying not that one while I only have one certificate”.
“It is not true that there were many attempts and I didn’t submit, whoever is saying that is just economical with the truth ...
“It’s just that the MM [Ndabeni] had a strong belief that my certificate is not valid and he used it as a reason to take me out of the institution for reasons known by him and his friends.”
At the time of publication, Mangcotywa had not confirmed if the municipality had laid a criminal complaint against Yalezo.
Daily Dispatch
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