RED FLAGS: Joburg ignores warnings and appoints ‘potential security risk’ to head Public Safety Department

A lifestyle audit conducted by the SIU classified former Gauteng Health boss Lesiba Malotana as ‘high risk’ and reported that he should be forensically investigated. Despite this, the City of Johannesburg has appointed him to head its Public Safety Department.

The appointment on Wednesday, 26 August, of former Gauteng Health boss Lesiba Malotana to head the City of Johannesburg's powerful Public Safety Department has sparked outrage after the City’s security screening found that he posed a “potential security risk for the City of Joburg”.

Malotana’s appointment was approved at the City’s monthly council meeting on Wednesday after a DA attempt to postpone the decision until he had been cleared of the outstanding matters was defeated.

According to DA Johannesburg shadow MMC for Public Safety Solly Maila, who submitted the postponement motion, the appointment was supported by the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance and Al Jama-ah coalition, and opposed by the DA, Freedom Front Plus, SACP and ActionSA.

Malotana, a former head of the Gauteng Department of Health (DoH), comes to Johannesburg with a controversial history. He was suspended by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in October last year after a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) lifestyle audit classified him as “ high risk ” and recommended further forensic investigation. The audit reportedly identified more than R1.6-million in questionable cash deposits, while Malotana has also faced separate allegations relating to Gauteng DoH procurement contracts. He has not been convicted of any criminal offence or found guilty of misconduct.

But the City’s own documents, tabled before the council this week, reveal that the City identified its preferred candidate as a potential security risk – and sought external legal advice before proceeding with his appointment.

The warning emerged after the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Services (GFIS) conducted further screening and discovered that Malotana had been flagged as “high risk” by the SIU.

A second personnel suitability check subsequently found “negative information which indicates a potential security risk for the City of Joburg”.

The finding was serious enough for the City to obtain an independent external legal opinion on Malotana’s suitability for appointment. The legal opinion found there was no legal bar to appointing him because he had not been convicted of a criminal offence or found guilty of misconduct, but advised the City to “proceed cautiously”.

Despite this, Malotana remained the first-ranked candidate and was recommended for appointment – ahead of two other candidates whose security screenings found no negative information that might render them security risks.

Malotana’s appointment was condemned by the DA and the Joburg Crisis Alliance (JCA). The DA is preparing a high court review application to challenge the appointment, and the JCA has demanded that it be immediately rescinded.

“We cannot allow the City to impose this man on us. This is a permanent position, so we will be stuck with him for years,” said Maila.