Mahlalela's appointment 'compromised integrity of process'

The EFF in Mpumalanga has requested that Public Protector Adv Kholeka Gcaleka investigate the appointment of the CEO of the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (NSEZ).

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

Dr Nontobeko Mahlalela allegedly secured the CEO job while still on the board responsible for hiring.

The EFF’s complaint, seen by Sunday World, is against both the NSEZ board of directors and Mpumalanga MEC for Economic Development and Tourism Nomakhosazana Masilela, who signed off on the recruitment.

At the centre of the EFF’s grievance is what it calls a blatant conflict of interest — Mahlalela was interviewed and appointed by her board colleagues while an active member of that very board.

“The board is supposed to provide oversight over the CEO, not appoint one of their own in that position,” EFF provincial leader Collen Sedibe told Sunday World.

The NSEZ, a government-owned R2.8-billion economic development entity headquartered at No 2 Eastern Boulevard, Riverside, in Mbombela, is tasked with transforming the Nkomazi region near the Mozambican border into a hub for logistics, agroprocessing, and green energy.