Sam Lelope’s employment contract with the Greater Tzaneen Municipality comes to an end on the 31st of March 2022. The ever-absent chief of the embattled electrical services department at the GTM, was appointed in 2017 and ever since has become notorious for his unwillingness to engage consumers and rate payers on the abhorrent state of the electrical infrastructure on any platform, including the media.
During his time in office the area has been plagued by frequent and prolonged outages which in some cases lasted for up to a week. Numerous WhatsApp groups were established to make reporting faults in the various areas manageable and to streamline the repair process, but on not one of these groups, Lelope is a member, because each time he is added to a group, he removes himself.
When Bulletin asked to interview him on the issues and his plans going forward, way back in 2017, we were denied an interview allegedly because of our supposed bad publicity we offered him and his department. Since that time, consumers were kept in the dark; literally.
With the arrival of Thapelo Matlala who became the first permanently employed Municipal Manager at the GTM in ten years, things started looking up as he implemented plans to upgrade the electrical infrastructure.
Matlala replaced the outdated transformers at Tzaneen power station with brand new transformers and structured a five-year plan for a complete overhaul of the entire grid, using money from a R90 million loan he secured with the Development Bank and other funds generated through various other avenues at his disposal.
Last year (July 2021) the power crisis reached a head when AgriLetaba pushed their concerns in the form of a petition, into the sights of a parliamentary committee where the crux of their complaints rested squarely in the lap of the non-communicating electrical department.
A hearing was called by the parliamentary committee which was attended by Lelope, Maripe Mangena, the former mayor, and Matlala. The hearing was held over Zoom and broadcast over Youtube. (Read that story on our website www.farnorthbulletin.co.za with the search keywords “Letsitele Electrical Crisis”)
We asked the spokesperson for the GTM, Vutivi Makhubele, to confirm that Sam Lelope’s contract was ending and that the position would be advertised in local media and on their website. She confirmed that Lelope’s contract would end on the 31st of March 2022 and said that the position would be advertised within 14 days after Council sitting which was held on the 28th of January.
“As per regulation on appointments of senior management, the following is required; Bachelor of science degree/Btech Engineering or equivalent, 5 years’ experience in middle management level, or as programme / project manager, 3 to 4 years at professional / management level, Engineering management experience is an added advantage and a certificate of competency as required in terms of the General Machinery Regulations, 1988 or Registration with a recognised, relevant engineering professional,” Makhubele explained. According to the GTM, Lelope possesses the relevant qualifications.
It is also not a certainty that Lelope will be replaced, as he is able to re-apply for the position.
