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The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the Mpumalanga Province welcome, supports and congratulates Cde Isaac Mahlangu for being appointed as Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency [MEGA] in accordance with section 13 (7) of the MEGA Act, 2010.

The entity (MEGA) have some apartheid historical background in it, where in 1995, the Mpumalanga Development Corporation (MDC) was established through a merger of the then homeland economic development entities namely the KwaNdebele Development Corporation [KDC], KaNgwane Economic Development Corporation [KEDC] and Agriwane (AWE) subsequent to that in 2000, MDC was unbundled to establish the Mpumalanga Economic Empowerment Corporation [MEEC], and other entities such as Mpumalanga Agricultural Development Corporation [MADC], Mpumalanga Regional Training Trust [MRTT] and Mpumalanga Housing Finance Corporation [MHFCo].

In 2005, the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA I) was established by merging the Mpumalanga Investment Initiative [MII] and MEEC. The current MEGA was established in 2010 through a merger of the MEGA (est. 2005), MADC and MHFCo. It is against this background as NEHAWU that we are calling for radical transformation in MEGA and this call is informed by the fact that some remnants of the apartheid regime and Bantustan systems seeks to raise their ugly-head in the entity even during this time of our democratic dispensation.  

As NEHAWU in the province, we have been constant and perpetually calling for the redesign of MEGA’s orientation and approach, so that it will not be a burden to the State but it should act as a catalysis of rapid economic development. It saddened us that the entity has been used as a “milking cow” for a very longtime, there are some senior managers, board of directors, and politicians who have been manipulating the systems of MEGA for looting.

Comrade Isaac Mahlangu is assuming a responsibility for six (6) months as Acting CEO of MEGA in the entity that has been struggling to have a functional Board of Directors, since the disbandment of the Board of Directors in February 2019 due to the fact that it was no longer reaching threshold or quorum. Currently, the entity is operating through a skeletal interim Board of Directors which its term of office is six (6) months. It is so unfortunate that the systems of governance at MEGA have collapsed.  There are Senior Managers within this entity who are very reactionary and have backward thinking which is against a transformative agenda.

The challenges at MEGA are too many, our members are subjected to unilateral organizational design, reactionary policies, and refusal of salary increase by management, corruption, nepotism and manipulative management. There is a serious need for a transformative agenda which shall lead to a developmental state thus benefiting the citizens of Mpumalanga.

The appointment of Cde Isaac Mahlangu to act as CEO of MEGA is a well calculated move and as NEHAWU we know that he is not an angel but his struggle credentials and academic excellence speak volumes. Cde Isaac Mahlangu is an activist and a former leader of COSAS at Buhlebezwe Secondary School, SASCO Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee, ANCYL Mpumalanga Provincial Secretary, NEHAWU Paralegal Team Member both in the level of the region and province, and a currently, he is a member of NEHAWU Ehlanzeni Regional Executive Committee by virtue of him being a Branch Secretary of Human Settlement Head Office Branch. 

Cde Isaac Mahlangu also possesses knowledge and expertise in Local Government, in in the year 2000 he was entrusted to be a Ward Councilor at Thembisile Hani Local Municipality and thereafter he became a PR Councilor in Nkangala District Municipality. He is currently a Manager within Legal Service Directorate in the Department of Human Settlement.

It is pleasing to note that Cde Isaac Mahlangu is passionate about academic and legal issues, it is of that reason he decided to enroll his National Diploma in Law from University of Johannesburg, Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law, Masters of Laws in International Commercial Law from University of Salford, in Manchester. There is no doubt that Cde Isaac Mahlangu is an organic intellectual and his appointment defeats the notion of doom and untested theory that there is no human capacity to govern in Mpumalanga Province.

Therefore, NEHAWU welcomes, supports and congratulates Cde Isaac Mahlangu for his new responsibility as Acting CEO for MEGA and we are very much optimistic that he will contribute towards the turning around and transformation of this entity. If his appointment is genuine and for the good cause of the entity, we then call upon the MEC, Honorable Pat Ngomane and his Department of Economic Development and Tourism to expedite the process of appointing a progressive Board of Directors and employ the Chief Executive Officer with the intention of complementing the administration of MEGA with a purpose of good governance.

This can only be achieved by selecting amongst the reliable, relevant and competent people of Mpumalanga Province. NEHAWU Mpumalanga will support Cde Isaac Mahlangu against all odds and reactionary senior managers who might want to sabotage the transformative agenda. We further call upon all reactionary senior managers within the entity to step-aside in order for the transformation of MEGA to begin.

The growth of the economy in the province has been delayed for too long now and our people need to benefit from the serious major projects of MEGA such as fresh produce market, Special Economic Zone, citrus farms, Funding of Small Medium and Macro Enterprises (SMMEs), housing Loan, and property development & management. In order for all of these projects to be successful and effective it needs a progressive and stable Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Senior Management and motivated employees of MEGA. 

Issued by NEHAWU Mpumalanga Provincial Secretariat