New municipal manager for Bela-Bela appointed

George Ramagaga, the previous municipal manager at the Thabazimbi Local Municipality, was shortlisted as the preferred candidate and started as the new and permanent administrative head on Thursday, 1 September.

His predecessor, Jamela Selapyane, has been the acting manager since Michael Makhubela resigned in 2021 as municipal manager.

Selapyane will probably be absorbed into her previous position as head of corporate services at the municipality.

As for Ramagaga’s introduction to the municipal council, most councilors, as well as officials, have welcomed his arrival.

It is no secret that the Bela-Bela is facing megalithic issues in local government, both internally and externally.

Most councilors agree that due to Ramagaga’s background in technical management and his track record of placing service delivery first, his arrival might just yet be of benefit to the town.

One of Ramagaga’s first actions as municipal manager was to see to the problematic leak that occurred on the Alma road a week ago after workers from the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) allegedly damaged essential infrastructure.

Some councilors were impressed that Ramagaga made the effort to be on-site and not just sit in his office.

In the meantime, however, The Post did come into possession of a document that indicated Ramagaga resigned from the Thabazimbi municipality after he was accused of financial misconduct.

As per the framework for appointing a section 56 manager (municipal managers), the appointment process remains strict.

Representatives from the Department of cooperative governance, traditional affairs and human settlements (CoGHSTA) are specifically tasked to look into a candidate’s background.

Inquiries are made to determine whether they have a criminal record if they have ever been charged or have committed an offense, as per the rules guiding local government.

This can inevitably lead to disqualification.

“We don’t deny that we are aware of his resignation due to the allegations at Thabazimbi. Through inquiries we have determined that after three months that he was under investigation, the charge was dropped and he was never formally charged or appeared to appeal his charge,” said Peter Moloto, municipal spokesperson.

“There was no evidence that could indicate, or to suspect, that Ramagaga was unemployable in our municipality. It is evident that he possesses a good track record regarding service delivery.

We at the municipality believe that any candidate is innocent until proven guilty and that the case in question is heard by a competent panel who respects the rule of law.”
The Post is in the process of securing a more in-depth interview with Ramagaga.