Polokwane Council appoints Zimbabwean national as director of water and sanitation amid political scrutiny

Mathipa Phishego

In a decision stirring both political discussion and public scrutiny, the Polokwane Municipality Council has approved the appointment of Chihota K., a Zimbabwean national, as Executive Director of Water and Sanitation. The appointment was endorsed following recommendations from both the City Manager, Thuso Nemugumoni and Executive Mayor, Cllr. John Mpe, as per official documents dated July 25, 2025.The document, which bears the Mayor’s signature, outlines a unanimous recommendation by the selection panel, which placed Chihota ahead of local candidates Mdetshse S.L. and Khomorompi M.C. The appointment was approved with no objections from panel members, a detail that is raising eyebrows in political circles and within sections of the community.According to the report, Mr. Chihota is to be appointed on a permanent basis under the Municipal Systems Amendment Act, 2022, and will be remunerated in line with Government Gazette No. 50737 of 2024, a framework usually reserved for top-tier senior municipal managers.While the appointment has been presented as a technocratic decision based on merit and qualifications, critics argue that it also highlights the increasingly opaque governance style of Executive Mayor Mpe and the City Manager.

Questions have been raised about transparency in recruitment processes, the extent of public participation, and whether due consideration was given to transformation and local empowerment principles.This comes amid growing dissatisfaction with the Mayor’s leadership in addressing Polokwane’s deepening water crisis, persistent service delivery backlogs, and recurring protests in the Seshego and Mankweng regions. Some councillors, especially the Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSA argue that the appointment of a foreign national in such a crucial portfolio, without broader public engagement, may only deepen the trust deficit between the community and the municipal leadership.Additionally, murmurs within the municipal administration suggest tension between the City Manager and sections of the Council over recent appointments, budget allocations, and alleged sidelining of internal candidates.Supporters of Chihota’s appointment argue that his technical expertise is desperately needed to revamp the city’s decaying water infrastructure and restore confidence in municipal service delivery.

But even with the best credentials, the political landscape he steps into is anything but simple.The success or failure of his term will inevitably be tied to the already embattled leadership of Mayor Mpe and the City Manager. With communities increasingly vocal about municipal accountability, Chihota’s performance will be closely monitored not only for competence. But for whether his tenure is insulated from the political interference that has marred similar appointments in the past.As per the municipal regulation, the Executive Mayor must submit a written report on the appointment to the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs within 14 days. While procedural sound, whether the appointment enjoys public legitimacy remains uncertain.In a city where water taps are often dry, but political tensions are overflowing. The new Director of Water and Sanitation steps into a role fraught with expectation and controversy.