THE citizenship of Setsoto Mayor Nthateng Maoke is in dispute.
While Home Affairs Immigration did an investigation in June, which allegedly indicates Maoke is a Lesotho citizen, her lawyer insists she was born and raised in Mzansi.
Hector van Aardt of Van Aardt and Van der Walt Attorneys said: “Our client was born and raised in South Africa. We’ve lodged a high court application in Pretoria.”
Van Aardt said they filed an application in the High Court on 13 August to prevent a potential deportation of his client.
However, a letter from the municipality to Home Affairs on 22 October last year, seen by Daily Sun, states Maoke was born in Ha-Chaka Village in Lesotho, where she attended school.
A source close to Maoke said she was born in Lesotho and started her primary schooling there. “She started at the municipality as a gender officer in 2011. An investigation was stopped by top officials. She became mayor in 2016. Investigations have started and her ID number has been blocked,” said the source.
Daily Sun is in possession of the minutes of a special council meeting held in Ficksburg on 20 August where DA councillor Isaak Vries presented a motion to remove her.
He said the speaker was aware the citizenship of Maoke has been a concern.
EFF leader in Setsoto, Shadrack Liphoko, said Maoke will have to pay back all the salaries she received from government.
Home Affairs spokesman Bonakele Mayekiso said the information couldn’t be shared with a third party.
