MEC RED FLAGS Knysna Council’s Acting Municipal Manager appointment.
(Picture: Boy Manqoba Ngubo, who may or may not currently be Knysna’s Acting Municipal Manager)

With its current Municipal Manager Dr Lulamile Mapholoba (still) on suspension, Knysna Municipality’s leadership woes seem to be increasing almost on a daily basis.

Council’s decision made on of Friday 7 August to extend Acting Municipal Manager Boy Manqoba Ngubo’s tenure for a further three months has not received the concurrence of Western Cape Local Government MEC Anton Bredell.

Further, at a meeting that extended into the evening of Tuesday 11 August, Council decided to stick with their reappointment of Ngubo, despite having each received a stern letter from the MEC pointing out that if they did not remedy the situation by appointing a lawful Acting Municipal Manager (AMM), his Department would take each one to court.

The leadership complications will no doubt have a knock-on effect for the running of the already embattled Knysna Municipality. Interviews for the entity’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position need to be undertaken, and this would ordinarily be the duty of the MM or AMM. To make things even more tenuous, earlier this year the Municipality had appointed Busisiwe Lubelwana as Acting CFO for three months from 13 July 2026, following the retirement of former CFO Clifford Julies.

But whilst her appointment was set to continue until a permanent CFO was employed – or the three-month acting period expired – it too had come under the scrutiny of MEC Bredell’s department which had asked Knysna for details of the vetting process undertaken, specifically whether the Municipality had contacted Lubelwana’s previous employer. In response, Knysna reportedly acknowledged that its checks had been limited to information contained in Lubelwana’s CV, and that when council approved the appointment, it had not been aware of her dismissal from Emalahleni Local Municipality.

Whilst Bredell criticised the Municipality’s lack of due diligence, he did not immediately intervene because Lubelwana is challenging the dismissal through a labour dispute.

In response to questions about the reappointment of AMM Ngubo, the MEC confirmed that he had not granted concurrence before council approved the extension, and that no concurrence had been granted after the council adopted the resolution. The council meeting was held two days after Ngubo’s initial acting term had ended.

When initially voting on the extension, some councillors cited the need for administrative continuity and urgent service-delivery decisions, including electricity, water and sewerage problems, as reasons for appointing an acting municipal manager without delay.

The Council rejected an alternative proposal to appoint Johnny Douglas temporarily until its next meeting. It then approved the nomination of Ngubo by a vote recorded as 10 in favour and 9 against.
The resolution was amended to authorise the Municipality to oppose or defend any legal proceedings arising from what was suggested to be the MEC’s failure to make a decision.

Meanwhile, at that same 7 August meeting, opposition councillors had warned that the appointment was unlawful without the MEC’s concurrence, and the Municipality’s legal adviser told council that an extension of an acting municipal manager’s appointment remained subject to section 54A(2A) of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act and required concurrence from the MEC.

In an emailed response to questions, Bredell told us his department was aware that council was awaiting reports from Bitou Municipality concerning allegations involving Ngubo. He also confirmed that he and the department were aware of a Hawks investigation involving Ngubo.

However, he said the Municipality would have to explain whether it had considered the nature of the Hawks’ investigation when it had sought concurrence. Asked whether he had concerns about Ngubo’s suitability in light of the allegations, the Bitou reports and the Hawks investigation, Bredell declined to comment, saying the appointment could become the subject of litigation.

The immediate legal status of Ngubo’s appointment remains uncertain. On Tuesday evening the Council reiterated its decision to stand by their 7 August resolution, but with the MEC’s concurrence not having been granted, and his written determination to each member that the resolution was unlawful, the outcome may well have to be decided through the legal proceedings threatened in his letters.

It remains unclear as to whether the taxpayer will pay the relevant costs to defend the councillors’ actions in court.