Opposition parties in the Free State have criticised the appointment of Fikile Mbalula's younger brother, Jabu Mbalula, as acting Premier while Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae is on special leave. Mbalula started his acting role yesterday and will be at the helm until 15 December.

IN OFFICE

Letsoha-Mathae is currently facing allegations of corruption after a contractor claimed he bought luxury vehicles for her and her husband Lawrence Mathae, who is the speaker of the Mangaung Metro, in exchange for tenders while she was Community Safety MEC. The businessman is believed to have blown the whistle on their arrangement following his contract being terminated by the department. Mbalula was sworn into office yesterday and is said to have hit the ground running. However, ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters in the province are not pleased with Mbalula's appointment, claiming he is just as corrupt as Letsoha-Mathae. "The ANC's swift appointment of Jabu Mbalula, brother of ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, as acting premier raises suspicions about the integrity of the party's actions. This decision, made immediately after Premier Letsoha-Mathae was placed on leave, appears to be a calculated move that prioritises political loyalty over genuine accountability," said ActionSA provincial chairperson Patricia Kopane. Kopane also questioned the timing and motives behind Mbalula's appointment. "This appointment undermines the ANC's claims of commitment to fighting corruption," said Kopane.

SCANDALOUS

EFF Free State chairperson Mapheule Liphoko said Mbalula was also corrupt and the decision to put him in the acting role is merely to appease his older brother. "Jabu Mbalula was recently among the names of individuals who were ghost workers on the payroll of the financially distressed Mangaung Metro Municipality. He was at the heart of the corruption and wasteful expenditure in the Metro. To pick him as acting premier is an insult to the people of Free State," Liphoko said. In a memo she sent to her executive, Letsoha-Mathae announced that she would be away for at least a month. In the short period, she's been Free State premier, Letsoha-Mathae has been criticised for firing contract workers from the province, and now her past seems to be catching up with the latest expose of her alleged corrupt activities when she was still a MEC. Letsoha-Mathae is likely to be summoned to appear before the African National Congress's Integrity Committee.