ANC set to install Magashule ally as Mangaung mayor

The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is set to elect a new executive mayor on Monday during a special council seating.

This follows the announcement by the ANC’s interim provincial committee (IPC) on Thursday to nominate, Mxolisi Siyonzana, as its mayoral candidate.

Siyonzana, an ally of suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, is the current speaker of the municipality and has previously served as its deputy mayor.

The Bloemfontein-based municipality has been without a permanent mayor since the ouster of corruption-accused former mayor, Olly Mlamleli. Mlamleli was removed through a motion of no confidence in August last year that was supported by ANC councillors.

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DA Mangaung caucus leader Hardie Viviers on Friday confirmed to The Citizen that the election of the new mayor and council speaker would take place on Monday at 10am, instead of Friday as the ANC initially said.

The ANC’s IPC coordinator, Paseka Nompondo, on Thursday said Siyonzana was chosen after an intensive selection process.

The process involved the officials of the party’s national executive committee (NEC), who conducted interviews of three candidates that were recommended by the ANC regional task team of Mangaung.

The other two candidates were Mapaseka Nkoane and Millicent Motingoe.

“All candidates demonstrated capacity at the interview on matters relating to ANC policy, broad local government issues, challenges confronting Mangaung Metro Municipality and possible solutions.

“They all performed well and the panel recommended comrade Mxolisi Siyonzana as ANC mayoral candidate.”

If elected by council on Monday, Siyonzana would serve in the position of mayor until the next local government elections, officially proclaimed for 27 October 2021.

However, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has approached the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on an urgent basis to defer the polls to February 2022, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions.

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