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Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) has rejected claims made by the Mangaung Concern Communities (MCC) and demand for the Executive Mayor Cllr Gregory Nthatisi and MMC for Community and Social Services Cllr Nthabiseng Jonas to resign.
The Metro has dismissed the statements made by MCC as inflammatory, irresponsible and false.
MCC alleges that the duo, Nthatisi and Jonas interfered or had undue influence in the recruitment and appointment of a thousand people in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), who are currently awaiting their personal protective equipment (PPE). The group alleges that the HOD for Community and Social Service Dr Thabang Thinda came with an already pre-determined list from the Executive Mayor with names of people to be employed.
According to the City, the claims advanced by MCC are not only false but appear to form part of a deliberate campaign to mislead the public, manufacture outrage, and provoke instability within the city of Mangaung.
“Let it be stated unequivocally that the allegations advanced by MCC are baseless, unverified, and politically reckless. They rely on claims that have already been disproven, and on an alleged conversation that the very official cited in their statement, Dr. Thabang Thinda has categorically denied ever taking place.
This alone collapses and exposes the fundamental weakness of MCC’s narrative. It is a claim constructed not on evidence but on speculation, hearsay, and deliberate distortion of facts,” said the leadership of the Metro in a joint statement.
MMM said even more concerning is the irresponsible attempt by MCC to mobilize unemployed residents to descend upon the Bram Fischer Building under the false pretext that employment opportunities are being manipulated or secretly allocated. Such conduct is not community activism. It is political opportunism that risks creating false hope among desperate job seekers while simultaneously attempting to destabilize municipal operations.
“The public must understand that employment programmes within the municipality, including the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), are governed by strict regulatory frameworks, administrative procedures, and transparent systems designed precisely to prevent the type of manipulation that MCC irresponsibly alleges.
Neither the Executive Mayor nor the MMC has issued any instruction to appoint individuals outside of these lawful processes. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply untrue,” said the City.
“The MCC statement demonstrates a worrying pattern: allegations are made without evidence, officials are quoted without verification, and the public is mobilized before facts are established. This is not accountability; it is the politics of fabrication.
It is particularly disturbing that MCC invokes the tragic memory of past unrest in Mangaung to justify their call for mass mobilization. The responsible course of action for any civic structure would be to protect community stability, not threaten to recreate conditions that previously resulted in loss of life,” continued the statement.
“The leadership of the municipality, therefore, rejects MCC’s call for resignation in its entirety,” rejected Mangaung Metro.
According to the Metro, public office cannot be governed through rumours, intimidation, or manufactured outrage. Institutions of governance operate within the rule of law, established procedures, and verified facts, not through media theatrics or politically motivated pressures.
“If MCC genuinely believes it has credible evidence of wrongdoing, the appropriate path is clear – submit such evidence to the relevant oversight and investigative institutions. Public incitement is not a substitute for due process.”
“To the residents of Mangaung, particularly those seeking employment, we urge calm and vigilance. Do not allow yourselves to be manipulated by unverified claims designed to exploit your legitimate desire for work and dignity. Employment opportunities within the municipality will always be communicated through official and transparent channels.
The municipality remains committed to expanding opportunities, strengthening service delivery, and ensuring that every programme aimed at assisting residents is implemented fairly and lawfully.
At a time when communities expect leadership, unity, and progress, it is deeply unfortunate that some organizations choose instead to sow confusion and confrontation. The people of Mangaung deserve truth, stability, and responsible leadership, not political theatre.
The leadership of the municipality will, therefore, remain focused on its mandate: serving the residents of Mangaung with integrity, accountability, and respect for the rule of law,” said the Mangaung Metro leadership.
