Mathebe was elected to the position uncontested during a special council meeting on February 9. She takes over from former mayor Stanley Ramaila, who, according to the SDM, has resigned.
Cllr Kgwediyebotse Chego was chosen as the Speaker, and former Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality mayor Johannes Phokane was appointed as the chief whip. MC Mabatane has been appointed as the chairperson of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee.
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Mathebe, the former Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality’s (EMLM) mayor, defeated Ramaila when she was elected as the chairperson of the ANC in the Sekhukhune region in December.
Mathebe brings to the top position a wealth of experience, having been in local government since 2000, in various positions. She was the deputy chairperson of the ANC in the region. Over many years, she has proved her political mettle through the ranks of the party.
When she was mayor of EMLM, the municipality invested R190 million in the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. The municipality managed to withdraw its investment before the collapse.
Upon her election, she announced her councillors to serve as members of the mayoral committee (MMCs). Mathebe also announced the launch of what she termed Operation Tlema Tekkie-re Nwe Meetse, loosely translated as “let us work hard to ensure people have water”.
“This is a call to action to all of us, from the executive mayor, MMCs and ward councillors to municipal officials at every level,” said Mathebe. “Under this operation, I will join the blue-collar workers at the site and brave the scorching heat, if that is what it’ll take for the people of Sekhukhune to get water. We will hit the ground running.”
She also outlined her key priorities in the next 100 days. They include doing an audit of all major water schemes and projects, deciding on the intervention, and seeking an audience with the minister of water and sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, to fast-track the collaborative process he has already put in place to unlock the De Hoop Dam Scheme. She also plans to engage local and small business enterprises and Magoši to ensure water projects proceed seamlessly.
