New mayor appointed for Mogalakwena muni

MOKOPANE – THE ANC has appointed a new mayor for the Mogalakwena Municipality on Wednesday morning.

Former municipal manager at Lephalale Municipality and member of the ANC provincial executive, Parks Sebatjane, will take over the reigns as mayor from Tlhalefi Mashamaite, who was recalled by the ANC as mayor last Monday.

Tolly Mashamaite, ANC regional secretary of the Waterberg district, told Bosveld last Tuesday that, “this decision was made to strengthen the municipality after facing a lot of challenges, and Tlhalefi stated that he was happy about the ANC’s decision as”they are my organisation”.

Tolly told Bosveld that Sebatjane had been deployed by the ANC and would officially be sworn in on June 17 at the Mogalakwena chambers.

On Wednesday, the Mogalakwena Residents Association, (MRA), stated in a media statement: “we reject with contempt the impose mayor of Mogalakwena Municipality, Parks Sebatjane. In our view, the mayor of Mogalakwena Municipality is William Mabuela, who was elected in terms of the Municipal Structure Act 117 of 1998 schedule 3 and confirmed by four court orders issued by the North Gauteng high court”.

Mabuela was appointed as mayor last year following the suspension of Mashamaite and several councillors after a forensic audit report. In November, Mabuela and his concillors were forcefully removed as Mashamaite claimed he was still the mayor.

“Last year, the ANC imposed Mashamaite as mayor to come and loot our funds, now they disregard the law again by imposing another mayor. We must emphasis that the 22 councilors who are currently claiming to replace the expelled councillors according to court orders are barred from entering the municipality. In terms of the law, the new councillors can’t participate or vote in the council meeting because legally, they aren’t councillors, but ordinary community members.

“We are tired of the corruption which is brought by the ANC provincial secretary together with Stan Mathabatha. The ANC must recognise William Mabuela as the mayor of Mogalakwena and Willy Kekana as municipal manager,” read the statement. “Since the ANC preaches lawlessness, as residents we are going to make the municipality ungovernable and continue with indefinite consumer boycott. We are still calling to all residents to refrain from paying municipal services until the ANC comes to their senses. Next year, we are going to boycott local government elections in demonstration of our fight against corruption.”

Tolly responded to the MRA statement: “we as the ANC will never disobey the law and we will always comply with the legislation. Sebatjane will be sworn in as mayor. He has been deployed to strengthen the municipality and service delivery. As for the comment regarding Mabuela, he will never be mayor, as the Mogalakwena Municipality is a ANC institution and Mabuela is not part of the ANC. The MRA are individuals who do not even represent a quarter of the residents of Mogalakwena, they are just making noise. The MRA should decide if they want to become a party and challenge the ANC, but they shoud know that they will never beat the ANC”.