In a rather unusual move, a rural Eastern Cape local municipality has roped in a spokesperson of another local council to take over the reins as its acting municipal manager.
But the decision has not gone down well with one of the opposition parties, which has since written a scathing letter to co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Zolile Williams asking for his intervention.
This comes after Matatiele Local Municipality bosses announced that the Umzimvubu Local Municipality’s spin doctor, Nokhanyo Zembe, had been seconded to take over as its acting municipal manager.
Her appointment into the demanding position reportedly came after the resignation of municipal manager Lizo Matiwane.
Zembe officially assumed duties on Wednesday last week.
“She has been seconded for a period of three months,” a statement issued by the Matatiele municipality said.
“Mrs Zembe has 25 years of experience in local government, including 14 years in senior management positions.
“Her senior management experience spans across roles in both district and local municipalities, where she has served as a senior manager in corporate services as well as in communications and special programmes, among many other roles she has held.”
Matatiele mayor Patrick Stuurman, who officially welcomed Zembe, said: “We are confident that Mrs Zembe’s experience and leadership will provide stability during this transitional period.
“The troika and council look forward to working closely with her to ensure that service delivery to our communities continues without disruption.”
The troika and council look forward to working closely with her to ensure that service delivery to our communities continues without disruption.
Zembe previously worked at the Alfred Nzo District Municipality before joining the Umzimvubu Local Municipality.
Attempts to obtain comment from her were unsuccessful on Monday.
Matatiele municipal spokesperson Ndabuko Masumpa said Zembe’s secondment was in line with the prescripts of the law.
“Her [Nokhanyo Zembe] secondment is in line with Clause 26 of Municipal Staff Regulations, which provides that the municipality may second a suitably qualified staff member to act in a vacant post in another municipality, subject to written agreement that outlines the duration, reporting lines, responsibilities and cost engagements,” Masumpa said.
Matatiele DA councillor Wonga Potwana wrote to Williams, saying the municipality had a pool of experienced senior managers who had previously acted in the municipal manager’s position.
“I write to you as a member of the Matatiele Local Municipality executive committee, following a council meeting held on January 13 2026.
“The meeting considered the resignation notice of our municipal manager, Mr L Matiwane, effective from January 14 2026, and subsequently resolved to request the secondment of a senior manager from the Umzimvubu Local Municipality to serve in Matatiele,” he said.
“While I respect the council’s intention to ensure continuity in administration, I am deeply concerned about the implications of this decision.
“The Matatiele Local Municipality has qualified senior managers who have previously acted in the municipal manager position.
“Overlooking these capable individuals contradicts the principles of fair labour practices and internal capacity building as envisaged in the Municipal Systems Act (Section 51) which emphasises the development and retention of skills within municipalities.”
He said he was convinced Zembe did not possess demonstrably superior experience compared to “our existing senior managers”.
He said more concerning was that she had a record of having been dismissed during her tenure at the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, raising questions about sustainability and compliance with the Municipal Structures Act (Section 82) which required that appointments be based on competency, integrity and suitability.
“By bypassing qualified internal candidates, the council risks contravening the principles of equity and fairness enshrined in the constitution (Section 195) which requires public administration to be governed by high standards of professional ethics, efficient use of resources and fair treatment of employees.”
He warned that the decision “may also expose the municipality to labour disputes and reputational damage, undermining public trust in council processes”.
He urged the MEC to review the council’s resolution and ensure that due consideration was given to internal candidates who had proven competence and institutional knowledge.
“I trust that your office will provide the necessary oversight to ensure compliance with the law and the best interests of our municipality,” Potwana wrote.
Williams’ spokesperson, Pheello Oliphant, said Cogta had received the correspondence from the DA councillor and that they would provide a solution soon.
“Essentially it is not unheard of for the municipal council to second an official from another neighbouring municipality to temporarily help with needed critical skills for three months,” he said.
“However, the acting municipal manager from another municipality must be at the level of the municipal manager of the one who has just resigned. This is to ensure continuity and stability.”
Daily Dispatch
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