Disgraced Free State Municipal CFO redeployed to Gauteng

28 February 2024

The Democratic Alliance (DA) can reveal that the former Nkeotane Municipality Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Xolani Malindi, has been deployed to yet another CFO position, this time in Gauteng to the Rand West City Municipality.

Malindi’s name is one that is well known to civil society and the South African court system alike. Whilst applying for the position of City Manager in the Nkeotana Municipality in the Free State, he was caught lying about a false qualification.

This, as he was already the CFO in a municipality that is widely reported to have been rife with corruption allegations. Xolani’s tenure as CFO in the Nkeoatana Municipality started in 2018. Some of the allegations that have been making headlines since then are listed below:

- R15 million stadium that is yet to be used

- A mayor who spent R695 000.00 on a new vehicle while quotes were still being sourced for the repair of her luxurious BMW 4 Series

- Collapsed service delivery

- Service providers went unpaid, taking matters to court to try and receive payment

A CFO who allows the municipality under his charge to end up in court, see service delivery collapse, allows a mayor to spend hundreds of thousands of rands as she pleases, and has to defend the legitimacy of his qualifications in court surely cannot be the best option.

Now, Malindi has been deployed to here. We will, however, not allow the destruction of this municipality’s coffers. We will hold him, and his colleagues, both political and other, to account around every corner.

This is Gauteng, and the DA is ready to govern the province come election day. We will not stand for what looks exactly like cadre deployment, while a seemingly inept CFO takes hold of the municipality’s finances.

Statement issued by Cllr Balderic Dreyer - Chief Whip Rand West City Local DA Caucus, 28 February 2024