Mpumalanga premier dragged to court by senior official over ‘unlawful’ axing

Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu at the media briefing after the ANC National Executive Committee meeting at Birchwood Hotel on 6 October 2025 in Boksburg. Picture: Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo A former senior official in the Mpumalanga provincial government has approached the High Court in Mbombela for an order declaring his axing unlawful and the employment contract binding. Peter Nyoni, an ANC provincial heavyweight and former deputy director-general for institutional development in the office of the premier, has cited the provincial government and Premier Mandla Ndlovu as respondents.

According to court papers, Nyoni’s employment contract, signed on 14 November 2023 under former premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, included a clause providing that he would become a permanent employee in the office of the premier as deputy director-general once his fixed-term contract expired on 28 February 2026. Nyoni, a senior ANC member in the province who served as the party’s regional deputy chairperson in the Ehlanzeni region and PEC member, argues that this provision meant he would automatically transition into a permanent position from 1 March 2026. However, on 4 March 2026, he was informed in writing that his contract had expired on 28 February and that his employment had ended.

“On 2 March 2026, at the instruction of the Director-General, the Acting Chief Director: Corporate Management Unit within the Office of the Premier, Mr JP Dlamini, informed me verbally that my employment contract ended on 28 February 2026 and that I should no longer report for work,” Nyoni states in his affidavit. He contends that the director-general lacked the authority to terminate or confirm the end of his contract. Under the Public Service Act 1994, Nyoni argued, only the premier has the power to appoint, transfer or deal with the employment of heads of department and senior officials. Nyoni states in court papers: “The blatant effect of this decision is that my continued employment… has been terminated by a person who is not authorised to do so.” The dispute appears to stem from a review initiated by Ndlovu earlier this year.