ERMELO – The ANC’s Regional Executive Committee (REC), Gert Sibande Region, released a media statement on January 15 regarding the temporary appointment of Msukaligwa Local Municipality’s (MLM) troika, consisting of the executive mayor, speaker and chief whip.
The ANC established municipal councils after the outcome of the local government election in November. The party had an outright majority in the MLM elections.
According to Mr Aubery Maboea, the spokesman for the ANC REC, a registration error caused the ANC in Msukaligwa to be unable to fully implement its decisions regarding the executive mayor, speaker and chief whip.
The ANC therefore set up an interim troika and allegedly engaged in consultations with them on the reconfiguration of the list.
They were said to have been formally informed during a meeting at which all councilors were in attendance, that this was only temporary.
“This has created a period of uncertainty and anxiety as a result of the unsolved matters in Msukaligwa,” Mr Maboea said.
High-ranking ANC members met with the troika to request that they allow the party to implement its decision through a resignation request for the three members.
According to Mr Maboea, the troika initially agreed to the request, but claimed they defied them as they have not complied.
This, Mr Maboea claimed, resulted in the executive mayor, Ms Agnes Mahlalela, appointing the mayoral committee outside the normal ANC processes.
The REC recommended to the provincial executive committee (PEC) that the troikabe recalled, their membership suspended with immediate effect and they be subjected to disciplinary processes.
Mr Maboea said during a telephonic interview that it is not that the current troika is not qualified to be in these positions, but that the correct processes were not followed, and they need to correct that.
On the question of how the people they had in mind for the positions were a better fit or better qualified, he replied that it is not about qualifications, but about the processes that had to be followed.
According to him, they are currently opting to find a position for Mr Mzwake Tsabethi as a councillor in the municipality, and to appoint him as the speaker, thereafter the mayor and chief whip will be announced.
The troika said during a media briefing in response to the REC’s statement, that they were shocked when they received the media statement issued by the REC to suspend them.
“It was coincidentally followed by us receiving death threats,” Mr Samkelo Buthelezi, MLM’s chief whip, said.
He added that service delivery has collapsed in Msukaligwa, and that they feel as public representatives of the community, they can not allow this to continue.
Mr Buthelezi said in their response that they respect the decisions made by the ANC, but that these must be in line with the party’s constitution, values and policies.
Any instructions not in line with their pledge, they said they would challenge within the discipline of their movement.
