The new mayoral incumbent of Capricorn District Municipality (CDM), John Mpe cracked the whip on municipal officials who had to ensure the delivery of services. As he put it in his address to an audience attending a gala dinner following the inauguration of the CDM Council in Polokwane on Friday, the honeymoon was over.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mpe and his councillors were supposed to steal the show that evening, an 11-year-old beat them to it when she took to the stage. Kgomotso Motha-po is a young songbird from Ga-Makanye village who seemingly has a preference for jazzy tunes to her playlist, which brought an entire hall to a halt and some guests to their feet with somewhat of a standing ovation to follow.
In his speech Mpe indicated he was humbled by the opportunity granted by the ruling party to lead the people of Capricorn District and grateful for the residents of the four local municipalities for the trust and mandate as well as support to the movement in electing the councillors from the various wards in the municipality. He borrowed from the words of former President Nelson Mandela when he said it was not a position that made a good leader, but passion to serve the people that made a good leader, a statement that secured appreciative response from his audience.
He urged those still in the “midnight dream” and prophets of doom believing that positions were only meant for them to understand that in the African National Congress (ANC) every member qualified to lead. He further reiterated, in particular to officials of the municipality, that the honeymoon was over and they had to focus on what they were employed to do, which was to ensure their people got water, electricity and better roads. It couldn’t be that an administration was so obsessed with who became the mayor that they delivered so-called dossiers to various newspapers in the run-up to the inauguration, he opined.
He further stressed that very strong opposition parties were watching them and if they spent time on waging petty squabbles within the administration while expecting the trust of people, they had to decide whether they wanted to work for the people or go home. At the same time Mpe requested that government departments and municipalities worked towards a common cause, complementing one another to achieve the objective of a better life for all.
Story and photos: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com
Featured photo: Capricorn District Municipality (CDM) Executive Mayor John Mpe leads the audience in singing and dancing to revolutionary songs after his official address at Meropa Casino and Entertainment Centre on Friday evening.
