Mr Delani Louis Thabethe was sworn in as mayor of the Lekwa-council on Monday, November 22.
The support for the Lekwa Community Forum was evident in the results of the past municipal elections.
Of the 30 seats in council, the LCF has six members, the ANC 13, the DA four, the Freedom Front Plus three, the
EFF three and the African Transformation Movement one member.
ANC-supporters and LCF-supporters were chanting and singing in front of the Standerton Town Hall on Monday, in anticipation of the outcome of the special council meeting.
The enthusiasm was heard inside the confines of the hall where the councillors were seated, with municipal officials watching the proceedings.
Councillors were sworn in, took the oath and the attendance register was signed.
The office of the minister sent a memorandum, indicating that he was unable to attend and the agenda was adopted and seconded.
The nomination of a speaker for council followed which councillors had to accept in terms of legislation.
Messrs Michael Mngomezulu and Oliver Phiri accepted the nominations and a secret ballot followed.
The voting box of the IEC was held aloft to show it was empty and councillors, one by one, voted for their candidate.
Party representatives watched as the ballots were separated into two heaps for counting purposes.
Mr Phiri was duly sworn is as speaker after a winning margin of 16 against 14 and officiated proceedings thereon.
He undertook not to be biased in this position.
Messrs Thabethe and Aubrey Maboea accepted their nominations as mayor and the same procedure of voting was upheld, resulting once again in a 16-14 count.
The mayor, wearing the mayoral chain, extended a word of thanks for the confidence bestowed in him.
“The municipality belongs to all the people of Lekwa,” Mr Thabethe said.
“This town has produced all of us, irrespective of race, party, class or gender.”
The chief whip is Mr Dumisani Msibi from the EFF, and the party representatives for the Gert Sibande District
Municipality are Mr Maboea from the ANC, Ms Mapaseka Molaba from the ANC and Ms Sithi Silosini from the DA.
Mr Thabethe said on Thursday, November 25 that a special council meeting will be held towards the end of the year.
The various chairmen of the committees, including the mayoral committee, will then be elected.
