KNYSNA NEWS - One of the three accused in the Victor Molosi murder case worked as a senior clerk at Knysna Municipality – even though he was illiterate, according to the investigating officer in the case.

At a court appearance of municipal official Mawande Makhala on 30 October last year, detective Sergeant Barnard Wilson stated he was shocked to learn that the accused cannot write. Wilson also stated that he was informed that Makhala was one of two people who got a job at the municipality, as organised by his co-accused, former councillor Velile Waxa.

The two men and another, Cape Town resident Vela Patrick Dumile, are charged with the murder of Victor Molosi, who was gunned down outside his home in July last year.

Molosi was the ANC councillor in Ward 8 at the time of his death. Another man, former Knysna Taxi Association secretary Mandla Tyololo, is also in custody, for conspiracy to murder.

'I deny appointing people'
Wilson's statement was never questioned or challenged in court by Makhala's representative, Legal Aid lawyer Eleanore Hill. However, Waxa wrote a note which his lawyer Daan Dercksen read out in court, stating: "I deny appointing two people, I cannot do that as a councillor. Due processes need to be followed culminating (sic) to the municipality."

Some members of the public were very vocal outside the courtroom after this was revealed, one of whom was local businessman Bonke Dyan. He expressed his outrage on Facebook and how much the municipality is failing the qualified youth by not offering opportunities that are "rightfully" theirs.

He wrote, "How do you employ someone to be a senior clerk at the municipality if that person can't even write? HR department must be investigated because they are the main reason, we suffer inefficient or dishonest administration."

Knysna municipal head offices. Photo: Stefan Goosen

Another member of the public who was vocal that day, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "I get it that someone might have filled in his job application form – but how did he wing it for so long at the municipality not being able to write? Did no one pick it up? Yet others that are capable of doing the employment offered are constantly looked over. Must have had someone pulling strings for him."

Responding, the municipality said Makhala went through council's recruitment and selection process in 2005. It added, "Personnel records are private and confidential and cannot be made public as per the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) Act."

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