ActionSA calls for Mangaung’s council to be dissolved after mayor sacked

ActionSA has called for the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality’s council to be dissolved and for by-elections to be held to elect new councillors.

This follows the sacking of Mangaung mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana by the African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State.

Mangaung mayor recalled

Siyonzana was fired from his job by the ANC’s interim provincial committee (IPC) led by Mxolisi Dukwana.

The IPC said it made the decision to remove the mayor after a series of engagements to assess the state of service delivery in the troubled metro.

ALSO READ: Troubled Mangaung pays law firm R1m to translate documents, ignoring own legal staff

The municipality faces a string of challenges and was placed under administration by the national government last year due to “significant financial and service delivery failures” for a prolonged period.  

ActionSA calls for fresh elections

ActionSA in the Free State has described Siyonzana’s removal as a “political gimmick” by the ANC.

The party’s chairperson in the province Patricia Kopane on Monday said the mayor’s axing was a clear demonstration of “inherent political strife and skirmishes” within the ANC.

Kopane said Siyonzana was an unpopular mayor who was imposed by the ANC on Mangaung residents.

“Before his appointment, the Mangaung Concerned Community and other civil society organisations, including Mangaung residents, took to the streets and burned tyres opposing his appointment. There were genuine reasons behind those protests that almost threatened his inauguration as a mayor.

RELATED: ‘I’ll fight until ANC Free State is rid of thieves,’ vows ex-Mangaung mayor Manyoni

“Siyonzana served as the deputy mayor to the then Mangaung mayor, Olly Mlamleli, and was also a speaker in the same municipality for years,” said Kopane in a statement.

She said under the collective leadership of the ANC, the municipality became bankrupt and unbankable and corruption and maladministration became the order of the day.

“Mangaung Metro owes Bloem Water millions of rand for water. There is a myriad of incomplete projects that have cost taxpayers millions such as the idle taxi rank that has turned into a white elephant due to poor workmanship and tender irregularities.

“This taxi rank cost R40 million, the then Premier [of the Free State] Ace Magashule and his allies allegedly benefited from this.”

Poor service delivery

Kopane said Mangaung residents feel neglected with the roads in an appalling state, which has led to some motorists avoiding entering the city to do business.

“Raw sewage flows in the streets, on rainy days this becomes a nightmare for the residents as they can barely leave their houses. The foul stench and poor water quality is their daily experience.

“ANC’s arrogance has exacerbated Mangaung’s woes. Even though Mangaung has been placed under administration by national Cogta, nothing has changed to improve the lives of Mangaung residents. The so-called City of Roses has now become a thorn in the side of residents and ratepayers.”

Kopane added that fresh elections in the metro was the only hope left for residents to improve their living conditions.

“The recycling of the ANC’s deployees through their cadre deployment strategies will never bring the much-needed development to this municipality.

“Siyonzana and Lulama Titi who is tipped to be the mayor were both at the centre of this corruption and maladministration. They both don’t have the vision to take Mangaung forward.”

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe.

NOW READ:  National government exorcises Mangaung’s ghost workers, corruption