Since the 2016 local government elections, Mogale City has had three mayors, thanks to coalition politics. This brought confusion and instability to the municipality; however, the current mayor has brought stability back.
The Mogale City Executive Mayor, Patrick Naga Lipudi, subscribes to servant-hood leadership. Lipudi is there to serve, and not to be served. He doesn’t prefer to be in his cushy office; he prefers to be on the ground, among people. Hence he is regarded as the “People’s Mayor”.
Lipudi is visible and accessible. On 1 January 2018, he visited two public hospitals in Mogale City, Leratong and Paardekraal, to congratulate the parents of the babies born on New Year’s Day. He is the first mayor in the city to do so.
He also visited the police station in Krugersdorp to motivate and encourage the police.
The People’s Mayor is also committed to bettering the lot of the poor. Not long ago, he visited a poor family in Kagiso. He contributed a certain amount of money to the family, digging into his own pocket. Batho Pele principles in action.
Last year, Munsieville was hit by a tornado. Several houses were severely affected. the media focused on Krugersdorp, which was also affected by the tornado, but our pro-active and responsive mayor rebuilt a house for a family in Munsieville.
According to research, politicians in general don’t use social media to communicate with citizens. Lipudi, by contrast, is active on social media, particularly Facebook. He interacts and engages with the citizens directly.
He is one of the few politicians who use social media effectively to communicate their political message.
Before he became mayor, citizens had lost confidence in the political system. Through his dedication and hard work, he is slowly but surely restoring the confidence among the citizens. Lipudi is the kind of leader the City needs right now.
