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The EFF in Gauteng have called for the immediate suspension and criminal prosecution of Lesedi municipal manager Sibusiso Dhlamini for alleged sexual harassment.
Dhlamini is also accused abuse of power, and psychological, physical, and emotional abuse against a junior staff member in the same municipality.
According to the Red Beret, Dhlamini has relentlessly demanded sexual intercourse from the victim, and going as far as manipulating municipal work arrangements, including the allocation of offices.
Provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said this is to make it easier for him to solicit and even coerce her for sexual favors.
“What began as verbal harassment escalated into physical and emotional abuse, making it impossible for the victim to work under normal conditions, forcing her to work in a storeroom just to escape the unbearable working environment he created.
“In a continued display of power abuse, Dhlamini fabricated allegations against the victim and attempted to use them as grounds for her dismissal.
“Even after the Bargaining Council ruled these allegations as unfounded and unfair, he persisted in his witch-hunt and persecution.
“His latest act of cruelty came in January 2025, when the victim was suspended from work simply because she had applied for a position in another municipality outside the province,” he remarked.
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Dunga stated that according to Dhlamini’s warped logic, the only way out of her misery was to either submit to his sexual demands or leave in a coffin.
He added; “We call on Gauteng COGTA MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, and the provincial government to take immediate and decisive action.
“The suffering that the victim has endured since 2021 must come to an end, and the municipal manager must be suspended immediately and subjected to criminal prosecution.
“Dhlamini has long operated on the belief that he is untouchable and that he can abuse and victimize women without fear of accountability.
“He falls within the category of municipal officials who have assumed a god-like status in municipalities, to the extent that council and executive members bow down before them and refuse to act against their crimes and this is the only explanation for why this matter has remained unchallenged for such a long time.”
EFF to picket at Lesedi municipal offices
Dunga revealed that the party will picket at the municipal offices in Heidelberg, demanding the removal of this municipal manager.
“Furthermore, the EFF will open a criminal case at Ratanda police station for sexual harassment, abuse of power, intimidation, and unlawful suspension.
“We will not rest until justice is served, and we will ensure that the days of powerful men abusing their positions to exploit women come to an end,” he concluded.
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