New brooms sweep into Thabazimbi council

The ANC in Limpopo has reclaimed the control of Thabazimbi local municipality in the Waterberg region. The party successfully passed a motion of no confidence against the council Speaker Ben Tlhabadira and Mayor Tokkie Swanepoel last Friday.

Tlhabadira is a councillor for the Thabazimbi Forum for Service Delivery, while Swanepoel is a councillor for the Democratic Alliance (DA).

They have been running the municipality since being elected after the municipal polls last November.

After the motion of no confidence was successfully passed, councillors elected Judith Mogapi as mayor and Tshego Ramoabi as speaker. Both are ANC councillors.

The municipality is currently run by a coalition of six political parties, the ANC with 11 seats, DA with four, the Thabazimbi Residents Association with three, the Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus with seats each and the Thabazimbi Forum for Service Delivery with one seat.

Among many challenges, the new mayor will have a mammoth task to bring peace, stability and tranquillity to the politically torn council.

The council has been marred by allegations of divisions, which have affected the rate of service delivery.

It has also been affected by acute shortages of water provision, failure to collect litter, failure to hold council and committee meetings and protracted factional battles.

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Last week, councillors complained that the former speaker and mayor had failed to hold contact council meetings since May because of political infighting.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Mogapi said she was up to the task. “The time for women to lead has ripped, and maybe this is the time to prove to those ‘doubting Thomases’ that women can do it,” said a jubilant Mogapi.

She said: “With the experience and a hardworking team behind me, nothing will be impossible.

“I am sure this municipality is going somewhere.

“I am going to work to my best ability to ensure that this town is clean, there is clean running water everywhere, council meetings are held in council, projects are completed on time, and council money is spent with precision and distinction, precisely for the development of our communities.”

ANC Waterberg regional spokesperson Seraka Mapeka said the future looks green in Thabazimbi.

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