MOKOPANE – MOGALAKWENA Residents Association (MRA) is rejecting the appointment of Parks Sebatjane as the new mayor of Mogalakwena Municipality by the ANC. The MRA wants William Mabuela, who was elected by the municipality council in April last year to be the mayor.
Spokesperson for the MRA, Oscar Ratombo, said in November last year, the ANC appointed Tlhalefi Mashamaite as mayor, and now they disregarded the law again by appointing Sebatjane as the new mayor.
“We are tired of the corruption. The ANC must recognise William Mabuela as the mayor of Mogalakwena and Willy Kekana as the municipal manager. As residents, we request the premier Stanley Mathabatha and provincial secretary of the ANC Nocks Seabi to pay back our money. The ANC preaches lawlessness, as residents we are going to make the municipality ungovernable. We are still calling on all residents to refrain from paying municipal services until the ANC gives us answers. Next year, we are going to boycott the local government election to demonstrate our fight against corruption,” said Ratombo. “Mogalakwena mayor, Mashamaite, has brought the municipality to its knees. Mogalakwena communities have been subjected to a total shutdown of municipal services, under Mashamaite,” he uttered.
Limpopo DA leader, Jacques Smalle, said a forensic investigation found Mashamaite to be unfit to hold office in that he personally spearheaded financial mismanagement and violations of supply chain in Mogalakwena.
He said Mashamaite had been an illegitimate mayor, since the ANC reinstalled him. Smalle said Mashamaite was removed from his office under court orders, yet late last year, he and the ANC deployed the SAPS to keep his grip on power, preventing his removal from office for a second time.
“Mashamaite’s holding onto power was a coup d’etat at best. The SAPS was under instruction to protect him at all costs. We believe that the decision from the ANC to recall Mashamaite is an acknowledgement that he is an illegitimate mayor. To recall him is nothing but cheap political means to comfort the people of Mogalakwena, as the ANC backtracks on its mistake. There is no rational reason why the ANC allowed Mashamaite to return to the mayoral office after being constitutionally removed by a council resolution,” he said.
“The fact is that Mashamaite raided the finances of Mogalakwena, cost the municipality service delivery money and has been found liable. He was grossly unfit to serve as mayor, and the ANC has finally admitted this. All squandered monies must now be recovered. Should processes not be implemented against Mashamaite, the DA will lay criminal charges against the municipal officials who protect him,” said Smalle.
Speaking on behalf of the ANC, Nocks Seabi, said with the decision to deploy these two comrades, the ANC took into consideration their leadership capabilities in the local government sphere.
Seabi said Sebatjane was no newcomer in local governance as he had been a municipal manager for the Waterberg District and Lephalale Municipalities in the early 2000s. “He is a member of the ANC Waterberg regional executive committee and he has served in the REC in various periods,” he added.
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