Thabazimbi municipality: Limpopo ANC Mayor, speaker ‘instigators’ of infighting

There has not been a contact council meeting at the coalition-led Thabazimbi local municipality in the Limpopos Waterberg region since May, due to protracted political infighting between the council’s six governing political parties.

Mayor and speaker ’cause’ of the chaos

ANC councillors are pointing at council speaker Ben Tlhabadira and mayor Tokkie Swanepoel as the main causes of the brouhaha. Tlhabadira is from the Thabazimbi Forum 4 Service Delivery while Swanepoel is from the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The municipal council comprises 23 councillors from six different political parties. The ANC has 11 seats, the DA has four seats, Thabazimbi Residents Association has three seats, Economic Freedom Fighters has two seats, the Freedom Front Plus has two seats and the Thabazimbi Forum 4 Service Delivery) has one seat.

No sittings, as duo fear a motion of no confidence

At the centre of the controversy is the allegation that the mayor and the speaker have not called a contact council sitting since the ANC planned to tabled a motion of no confidence against them.

“All our meetings were through visual [online]. And they would make sure when our councillors raised difficult questions they cut them off,” said ANC councillor Temba Mkansi.

“We … made it clear we had planned to pass a motion of no confidence against them. But since then they hid behind Covid as their reason for not calling a council sitting.”

The following grievances were listed by councillors:

-The mayor and the speaker have subjected residents to prolonged poor service delivery;

-Lack of good governance by failing to convene executive committee meetings’

-Allowing council to condone irregular expenditure;

-Failing to implement conditional grant projects;

-Encouraging illegal land invasions; and

-Allowing the acting municipal manager to use public funds to bankroll a court battle involving political squabbles.

Swanepoel refused to comment and the mayor referred media inquiries to the speaker, whose phone went unanswered.

It is understood that a special council sitting has been arranged for tomorrow.

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– news@citizen.co.za