BAPHALABORWA municipality mayor Gloria Valoyi has secretly married the municipality's former acting manager, Anderson Mudunungu.

The two had allegedly been seeing each other secretly for some time and felt it was time to exchange vows.

The wedding took place on Wednesday at Valoyi's parental home in Mageva village outside Giyani in Limpopo, with only those close to the couple invited.

Senior municipal officials Sowetan spoke to yesterday were also in the dark about the secret marriage.

But the wedding between the two is not without controversy.

Shortly after suspending then municipal manager Isaiah Nyathi, Valoyi immediately appointed Mudunungu, 41, as acting manager for the municipality.

She had earmarked him to be appointed permanently but failed when the council declined to approve the appointment.

The couple could not be reached for comment yesterday.

But municipal spokesperson Elliot Ramachela also sounded surprised on hearing the news.

"I'm not aware of the wedding. But also, matters of the heart are private," he said.