Mamusa officials want their jobs back

Mamusa local municipality in the North West is embroiled in yet another crisis which could force the provincial government to intervene.

This after the council Speaker Lesego Motlapele and the municipal manager Rantsho Gincane, were removed unlawfully from their positions in an allegedly illegally convened special council meeting last month.

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Motlapele was removed with a vote of no-confidence and Gincane was placed on 30-day forced special leave during a council meeting led by Economic Freedom Fighters councillors working with their ANC counterparts.

The Democratic Alliance and the Freedom Front Plus refused to participate on the basis that the meeting was unlawful, and part of an ANC political infighting.

Now Motlapele and Gincane have written to the head of the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs Dr Mokotedi Bole asking him and MEC Nono Maloyi to reverse their unlawful removal.

Different special meetings called by the councillors in petitions to the speaker between 13 June 2023, and 17 February this year failed due to lack of a quorum.

The only successful gathering was a special meeting where the two were removed on 21 February, but the meeting was illegal as it was convened in contravention of section 29(1A) of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act.

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According to Gincane, “the council is run through special meetings and it has not been able to approve several compliance documents”, including the integrated development programme and the budget process plan.

“The items were deferred without any explanation,” he said.

In the letter, Gincane alleged chief financial officer Vincent Masilo, who is acting in his place, lacked experience and relevant qualifications… but he was pliable and would accede to unlawful decisions of the council.

After Gincane’s suspension, the council authorised the appointment of lawyers to defend its allegedly unlawful resolutions.