KZN CFO Exposed: Changed Surname to Bury R2 Million Scandal and Land New Job

KZN CFO Exposed: Changed Surname to Bury R2 Million Scandal and Land New JobThe Uphongolo Local Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal has remained tight-lipped amid damning allegations that its chief financial officer (CFO) may have faked his identity to land the job.

Whistleblower Claims CFO Hid Past by Changing Surname

A whistleblower report seen by Sunday World accuses the CFO — originally known as Khulekani Thusi — of changing his surname to Khulekani Ngcobo in a bid to escape his controversial past at the Amajuba District Municipality.
The report claims he adopted his mother’s maiden name and updated it at the Department of Home Affairs in November 2021, even changing his children’s surnames too.

Fired Over R2 Million Payment, Then Rehired Elsewhere

The whistleblower alleges that the name change was strategic — to avoid any online links to a scandal in which he was dismissed from Amajuba for authorising a R2-million payment for work that was never done.
Although he challenged his dismissal at the bargaining council, he lost, and the decision stood.
He reportedly used the new surname to apply for his current job in Uphongolo and told interviewers he had left Amajuba due to “family responsibilities.”
An insider criticised the hiring process, saying, “It is concerning that the municipality did not check with Amajuba. When this information was raised later, they still didn’t act.”

Same Man, Different Names and a Trail of Controversy

After his exit from Amajuba, the same individual went on to work at the Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality — also run by the IFP — using the surname Thusi.
Now, under the Ngcobo identity, his financial decisions are under scrutiny again. In May this year, reports emerged that he approved a R145,000 payment for just three laptops — effectively costing the municipality over R48,000 per device.Despite being given nearly a month to respond, both the Uphongolo Municipality and the CFO have ignored media questions about the identity switch and the financial controversies linked to his name.