The DA recently called on the Executive Mayor of the Lekwa Municipality, Delani Louis Thabethe, to vacate his seat, saying Lekwa is in a worse state under the Lekwa Community Forum (LCF).
They organised a march to Lekwa at the end of October, with provincial leaders joining the sea of blue.
After the council meeting this past week, Delani Louis Thabethe was removed after the DA motion of no confidence was submitted with a 17-12 vote margin.
It caused an uproar in the community, with residents voicing their questions on social media.
The council has 30 seats made up of four DA councillors, two Freedom Front Plus councillors, one Independent councillor, three EFF councillors, one ATM councillor, 13 ANC councillors and six LCF councillors.
The DA said it has no control over how other parties voted or abstained.
According to the DA, Thabethe has failed to turn around the dire state of the municipality, saying Lekwa has regressed and is failing to provide basic services such as constant water supply, refuse removal, and pothole and streetlight repairs.
DA councillor Sithi Silosini identified burning issues such as challenges with the billing system, which impacts revenue enhancement, failure to manage and adhere to the existing financial recovery plan, outsourcing municipal services, lack of good governance, and filling critical positions in the institution.
According to the party, the mayor’s failure to prioritise fixing streetlights has also resulted in a rise in house robberies and dog poisonings in Standerton, Sakhile and Morgenzon.
These areas have also seen increased illegal dumping sites because of a lack of refuse removal.
Silosini referred to the closing of businesses, blaming the lack of service delivery, and said the town is not conducive to business development and not investor-friendly.
A lack of access to water in Lekwa has persistently affected residents and businesses.
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Astral Foods, one of the biggest employers in Lekwa, took the municipality to court in 2021 because of the inconsistent water supply that threatened their operations and jobs.
The people of Lekwa voted for the LCF in their numbers in 2021, and according to the DA, the LCF picked up where the ANC’s rot ended.
The DA said they are not in a coalition with the LCF or any party in Lekwa.
“We will hold those in power accountable, without fear or favour.”
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