A storm is brewing in the City of Ekurhuleni over the appointment of Phakamile Mbengashe as Head of Department: Communication, Marketing and Tourism (CMTD5000), following serious allegations by former municipal communications executive Nhlanhla Cebekhulu.
Cebekhulu, a respected public communications professional with nearly 30 years in government service, has accused the municipality of flouting both ethical norms and legal frameworks in appointing Mbengashe to one of the city's most senior and influential positions.
Mbengashe is the former spokesperson to then-Ekurhuleni mayor Mzandile Masina and is believed to be linked to “big players” in the political arena.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the Ekurhuleni Council, Cebekhulu questioned the legality and transparency of the appointment process. He claims that Mbengashe, despite being recommended by the interview panel, does not meet the minimum academic and management requirements outlined in the job advertisement.
The position required a postgraduate degree — at NQF Level 7 or equivalent — in marketing, communications, or digital business, and ten years of management experience, five of which must be at senior level.“The earmarked candidate, judging from the LinkedIn page, does not possess the requisite knowledge of communication besides being a spokesperson,” Cebekhulu said.
“He does not possess ten years’ managerial experience as required by the advert,” Cebekhulu alleges that the job advert itself may have been retro-fitted to accommodate Mbengashe’s qualifications. “The advert has a replica of the qualification (Digital Business) for the earmarked candidate inserted to favour him for shortlisting and appointment,” he wrote.
Further complicating the matter is the controversy surrounding Mbengashe’s academic background. According to the city’s HR records, Mbengashe holds a Master’s degree in Digital Business from the University of Salford in the UK.
However, there is no bachelor’s degree in Mbengashe’s name registered in South Africa, which opens more questions on how Mbengashe was admitted to a Master’s programme abroad when he didn’t even have a bachelor’s degree.
The other red flag is how the South African Qualifications Authority “authenticated” the Master’s Degree of an individual who didn’t have an entry degree. Cebekhulu notes that there is no record of a junior or undergraduate degree, which is typically required for admission into a Master’s programme. “
He simply doesn’t have a local degree. So how did he get a Master's degree without as little as a bachelor’s degree?” he asks.
The City of Ekurhuleni’s response appears to rely on a non-traditional academic route known as APEL — Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning.
HR documentation confirms that Mbengashe was admitted into the Master’s programme based on his work experience, which was formally recognised by the foreign institution. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) confirmed the Master’s as an NQF Level 5 qualification — ironically lower than the advertised minimum requirement of NQF Level 7.
This discrepancy has not been officially addressed by the city. Cebekhulu has taken formal steps to challenge the appointment. On March 7, his legal team filed a PAIA (Promotion of Access to Information Act) request demanding transparency around the shortlisting and appointment process. As of this reporting, no comprehensive response has been received, though the City has acknowledged an internal investigation is underway.
Despite the ongoing investigation and public outcry, the appointment process has continued. Mbengashe was recommended for assessment on March 20 and nominated for final appointment on March 27, after scoring highest in panel interviews and psychometric assessments conducted by Assessment Toolbox.
According to internal documentation, three candidates were interviewed, with Mbengashe receiving the highest total score of 117 points. The selection panel cited his “superior understanding of communication, marketing and tourism within the city” and his performance during assessments, which reportedly demonstrated strong leadership, planning, and communication competencies.
However, critics say the numbers don’t tell the full story. Cebekhulu insists that more qualified candidates — some of whom he mentored during his tenure — were overlooked and accuses Mbengashe of exaggerating or falsifying experience. In 2018, Mbengashe was a spokesperson to the mayor, not a management role.
''At the time, the senior manager (Communications and Media) was Mr Themba Gadebe, who served until 2020. How then does Mr Mbengashe claim senior management experience dating back to that period?" The implications of the appointment have begun to reverberate across local political circles.
A formal set of questions has been directed at Ekurhuleni’s political leadership by opposition councillors, including inquiries about the oversight role of the council in verifying qualifications and why the appointment was ratified despite glaring discrepancies. One particularly troubling issue concerns the job advert’s wording.
The advert ambiguously refers to a “postgraduate degree… or equivalent NQF Level 7 Qualification,” which is inconsistent with the National Qualifications Framework, where a postgraduate degree typically sits at Level 8 or higher. Critics argue this ambiguity may have been intentional — designed to blur eligibility requirements and favour a pre-selected candidate.“This is either a grave drafting error or a deliberate manipulation of recruitment policy,” said a councillor who asked not to be named.
“The Local Government: Regulations on Appointment and Conditions of Employment of Senior Managers is clear — an NQF Level 7 undergraduate degree is the minimum requirement. Council rubber-stamped this without asking serious questions.” Further concern has been raised about the role of the selection panel. While their scoring matrix supports Mbengashe’s candidacy, detractors argue that subjective elements — such as interview impressions—may have been used to mask deficiencies in qualifications or experience.
Moreover, the city’s own HR documentation acknowledges that parts of Mbengashe’s CV were “discussed at length” and involved “areas where the acting period was not stipulated,” suggesting a lack of clarity or even embellishment.
“The process reeks of cadre deployment and favoritism,” Cebekhulu added. “The Executive Mayor and City Manager have ignored every attempt I’ve made to raise these concerns through formal and legal channels. Their silence is telling and dangerous.”
Some municipal officials have maintained that due diligence was performed. They argue that all shortlisted candidates, including Mbengashe, underwent rigorous reference checks, credit vetting, and qualification verification.
The vetting could, however, still not find a diploma or degree registered to Mbengashe in South Africa.
However, this explanation has not satisfied transparency advocates. Critics say verifying a qualification is not the same as confirming its eligibility or alignment with the job’s requirements. "SAQA confirmed that the Master’s degree is equivalent to NQF Level 5. That’s below the minimum threshold. 'How is this acceptable?" one opposition councillor asked during a recent council session.
Cebekhulu’s legal team is reportedly preparing a court application to interdict the appointment, pending a review of the entire recruitment process.
Mbengashe had not responded to questions at the time of going to print.
This is a developing story.