Municipal matters under the loop

According to Mayor Sechele Sebolai, the meeting was held mainly to comply with the report-backs from management, several departments, and council committees.

The meeting began 40 minutes late due to ANC councilors not being punctual. Speaker Sinah Langa had stern words for them.

One of the matters before the council was the renewal of Aphiwe Mananga’s contract as Acting Director of Technical Services. According to Sebolai, a permanent appointment will be made soon.

Mananga and the municipal manager, Ben Thobela, were the driving force behind buying vehicles for the municipality under the Municipal Infrastructure Grants, rather than leasing them at a high cost, according to Sebolai. The vehicles bought included a sewage jet, bakkies for the electrical department, and new refuse removal trucks.

Bravo Monyela of the EFF will no longer serve as a full-time member of the municipality’s executive committee. This is a cost-saving measure according to Sebolai as Monyela was not able to fully fulfill the commitments the role requires, such as attending meetings. The remaining committee members are Sebolai and Rufus Mahoro of the ANC, Hercules Louw of the DA, and Johan Prinsloo of the FF Plus. The council also heard that business plans were submitted to the Department of Water Affairs for funding to replace water pipes in the municipality, as almost 80% of the pipes are made of asbestos.

At a meeting following the council meeting, Sebolai told Die Pos that cable thieves are causing thousands of Rands of damage each week.

“Cable theft and illegal connections cause us headaches. After loadshedding we often have problems and cables need to be repaired before the electricity can be restored to the affected areas. This happens on a weekly basis.”

He reported that the towns definitely have fewer trucks that are staying overnight on the main streets since they began requesting them to move on.

“We thank the security companies such as Jumas, Makgobathe, and Scorpions for their assistance in this matter.”

Sebolai appealed to the community to offer a helping hand to matric learners who could not afford clothes for their matric dances.

“If you have a smart or antique car consider helping them out. It only takes a few minutes and will create great memories,” he said.

Those able to help the learners can contact Janine Botha on tel. 083 292 8249.