Mangaung opposition betting on ANC councillors to help oust ANC mayor

Opposition parties in the troubled Mangaung Metro Municipality will soon table another motion of no confidence in council, this time aimed at booting out African National Congress (ANC) Mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana through a secret ballot.

Earlier this month, council whip Vumile Nikelo was voted out through a motion brought by the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus). Nikelo was also ANC chief whip in the council.

This would be a second attempt at removing Siyonzana after he survived a vote of no confidence in May, that wasn’t conducted by secret ballot.

The motion was brought by the DA, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats (ASSD).

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ANC councillors’ votes needed

The DA is confident that their latest motion will succeed with the assistance of ANC councillors who also helped oust Nikelo through a secret ballot.

“We only needed three votes at the first motion against the mayor, but the ANC brought in two provincial party representatives, [interim coordinator] Paseka Nompondo and [spokesperson] Oupa Khoabane to ensure the motion doesn’t go through. The councillors couldn’t raise their hands in front of their provincial officials.

“Through a secret ballot, Siyonzana is gone. He has received the motion that also details charges against him. He hasn’t achieved anything for Mangaung,” said DA caucus chairperson David Masoeu.

Siyonzana pleaded with DA not to bring motion

According to insiders at Mangaung, Siyonzana pleaded with the DA to halt the vote of no confidence.

“The executive mayor knows very well that he doesn’t have support in council. Most ANC councillors are helping opposition parties to rid the metro of the cancer that is corruption.

“He exposed how vulnerable he is to the DA, pleading with them to not table the motion. He begged them, but it will happen,” said the source.

READ MORE: Nelson Mandela Bay mayor removed via motion of no confidence

The DA charged Siyonzana with several transgressions, including:

• Financial instability: Inability to deliver services, inability to expand revenue streams and attract investment in the City, delays in adoption of policies.
• Political instability: Late approval of budgets, non implementation of decisions leading to lack of municipal services and subsequent protests, failure to provide promised adjustment budget by August 2022.
• Infrastructure collapse: No tar available to fill potholes, no diesel for municipal fleet.
• Pollution: Illegal dumping out of control, raw sewage flowing onto the streets and stormwater, collapsed sewage plants causing an impending environmental disaster.
• Failure to appoint an ombudsman.
• High unemployment rate due to the decrease in tourism, limited revenue collection, lack of service delivery and high crime rate.

ALSO READ: Mangaung council whip voted out through secret ballot

Siyonzana would not comment on the allegations against him when contacted on Thursday.

‘Council motions causing instability’

Briefing Parliament’s Cooperative Governance Committee on Wednesday, Mangaung’s acting municipal manager Tebogo Motlashuping told the MPs that party infighting and motions tabled against municipal leaders brought instability at the metro.

Motlashuping was sent to fix the ailing Free State metro, after it was placed under administration by the Cooperative and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

He said the third council motion was likely to succeed.

“The speaker is to reconvene council soon to elect a whip after the previous one was voted out. I must inform the honourable committee that – that has got an effect on the destabilising of the political arm of the municipality.

“Because that motion against the whip succeeded, it’s likely to effect the same outcome for this latest motion against the mayor. This affects the stability of the political arm at Mangaung.”

The ANC has the majority in council with 54 councillors, followed by the DA’s 34.

In August 2020, Siyonzana’s predecessor Olly Mlamleli was removed at a special council meeting through a secret ballot.

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