Gravy train allegations cloud Nkosi’s election as Mogale City Deputy Mayor

The council has elected Bongani Nkosi as Mogale City Local Municipality’s (MCLM) deputy mayor.

According to Mogale City mayoral spokesperson Nkosasana Zali, Nkosi is the sole representative of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and comes with executive experience having served as a Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Human Settlements and Rural Development (now Human Settlements and Real Estate) and later as political head for Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture in the city. He will therefore provide requisite support to Executive Mayor Lucky Sele.

Zali added the election of the office bearer is approved by the MEC for the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA ) and Infrastructure Development, Jacob Mamabolo, through the Municipal Structures Act.

“Mamabolo will now commence with the prescribed steps in this Act to ensure that the deputy executive mayor becomes a full-time office bearer in due course.”

Speaking upon his acceptance of the new role, Nkosi thanked his party, the ANC as well as the EFF for showing confidence in him. He made a solemn pledge for service in his address.

“As we embark on this new journey together, I pledge to work tirelessly to promote unity, inclusivity, and progress in our municipality. We will strive to create opportunities for economic growth, improve service delivery, and ensure that our communities receive the quality services they deserve,” said Nkosi.

However, not everyone is jumping for joy as the FF Plus condemned the appointment, considering it a waste of money.

In a statement issued, Tjaart Steenkamp, FF Plus councillor in MCLM said the ANC, EFF and IFP joined forces to add yet another carriage to the gravy train by electing Nkosi as deputy mayor.

“The annual salary of Nkosi, the IFP’s only councillor in Mogale City, will amount to about R900 000, but he will no doubt also receive a shiny new official car with a driver and bodyguards. There is absolutely no justification for this expense. Mogale City’s service delivery is already tragic. Water treatment plants are dysfunctional, utility bills are riddled with errors and there is an utter lack of infrastructure maintenance. By appointing Nkosi, the ANC, EFF and IFP are sending a loud and clear message to Mogale City residents that self-enrichment takes precedence over service delivery.”