Mayor Mahlaba says he won’t back down
"...If we continue to allow corruption, we will wake up one day to find there is absolutely nothing at the municipality."
A crowd of Newcastle Mayor, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba’s supporters filled Scott Street on Friday (January 31), under the combined slogan ‘Hands off our Mayor’.
Addressing his supporters outside the municipal complex, Mahlaba made it clear he would not be intimidated. The gathering of his support base was led by religious leaders, who preached a message of peace among all residents and political parties.
Mahlaba said he would continue making changes at the municipality, even though they might not be desirable to some people:
“We won’t stop fighting corruption within the municipality. If there’s corruption, we must deal with it. People who were benefitting are now a lost cause. We all saw looting that affected many people. Police had to safeguard shop owners because there are people who are using the youth for their own agendas. What did the Pakistani shop owners do? That act was plain thuggish behavior. These people are criminals!”
Mahlaba briefly spoke on the situation with Eskom. He explained when he took office, the power utility was not being paid and Newcastle Municipality was only doing since then.
“There are some people’s wives who were busy benefitting and getting money from the municipality, with simple grass-cutting companies. They are now making noise because we are rooting out this corruption. While you’re at it, ask yourselves about the Phelandaba Swimming Pool project. Money was overused to an excess of over 70 per cent. There’s a list of them; you will soon know them too. There’s one thing you should know: I will not be pushed around and I am not afraid of anyone. We are moving up now and there is no turning back.”
Young Communist League (YCL) Secretary, Sabelo Ngobese also expressed his support for the Mayor and his campaign to root out dishonesty and corruption.
“Who gets paid three times more than their salary for overtime? Who sent them to book for so much overtime? There are people who ‘cooked’ payslips, so they can be able to buy cars. That is why there is so much havoc caused now. They are angry and desperate because banks want their money! There was enormous debt already at the municipality before the Mayor got there; what were they doing about it?”
Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Newcastle Advertiser.
ALSO READ: Sinister plot to discredit Dr Mahlaba?
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Email: Reveshni Douglas (Editor) at reveshni@caxton.co.za
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