Municipal boss's skeletons creep out of closet in spat with ex-ally

Pair once so close they had a business together

- By Phalane Motale

The bromance between a top Northern Cape businessman and the municipal manager of the provincial capital - the Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality in Kimberley - has flamed out into a bitter public spat.

The closely kept alliance between Joseph Solani of Kapa Koni Investments and municipal head honcho Thapelo Matlala recently went up in flames after Matlala cancelled Kapa Koni's lucrative multi-million contract, allegedly following Solani's refusal to twist statements to the Public Protector (PP) in his favour.

Matlala was invited to appear before the PP on May 30, 2023, after concerns were raised about his relationship with the businessman and the alleged "irregular" issuing of the now-cancelled contract.

Sunday World has seen the response Matlala sent to the PP's Northern Cape office dated June 26, 2023, in which he refers to a May 30, 2023 letter by Adv Lemogang Serwalo headlined, "Investigation into allegations of improper conduct and maladministration relating to irregular processing of payments to service providers by the Sol Plaatjie Municipality in contravention of the National Treasury Circular regulating cession and assignment of contracts (Your reference 7/2 - 105873/23)."

Matlala stated that the municipality had at all times acted in a diligent and lawful manner.