Lack of FTLM speaker leaves people voiceless
"Prior to that, in December 2018 and January 2019, the municipality was functioning without a mayor, after the former mayor, Maudu Phokwane, was forced to resign by his own party due to his involvement in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal," he added.
BURGERSFORT – The Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality’s (FTLM) council has been running without a speaker since February.
The DA voiced its concerns with regard to the vacant post. “During this period disputes in different ward committees remain unresolved, because committees have abandoned their responsibilities as there is no one to monitor and engage with them in relation to the projects in their respective wards on a daily basis,” said the party’s councillor, Lethabile Kgwedi.
He alleged that the municipality is also failing to finalise the appointment of Sections 56 and 57 managers, due to the vacant speaker’s position.
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The party said they have written to the MEC for cooperative governance, Bioskop Makamu, seeking his immediate intervention. According to a press release from the party, FTLM has failed to arrange an ordinary council meeting to debate and implement all municipal decisions and projects in order to accelerate service delivery to the people of Fetakgomo and Tubatse.
“The last time the municipality held a council meeting was when the former Speaker, Naume Phala, was officially appointed as the mayor of the municipality. This is when the 2019/2020 budget was adopted and passed,” revealed Kgwedi.
“Prior to that, in December 2018 and January 2019, the municipality was functioning without a mayor, after the former mayor, Maudu Phokwane, was forced to resign by his own party due to his involvement in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal,” he added.
He said the municipality’s failure to appoint a speaker is a clear violation of the Municipal Rules of Order.
“Section 14 of the rules provides that the speaker must determine the date, time and venue of meetings of the municipal council and must ensure that they take place at least quarterly, but that has not been the case with FTLM.”
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FTLM spokesman Ngwato Rachidi refuted the claims made by the DA.
“We have received and read the statement from DA’s Cllr Lethabile Kgwedi with great concern and disappointment. The former speaker of the council was elected on March 4 to be the mayor. Processes are underway for the position of the speaker to be filled and we need to respect those engagements from the level of the ruling party in council. We therefore commit that the council will have a speaker on or before July 31.
“We repudiate that the absence of the speaker has resulted in the lack of provision of basic services to communities and all community projects remain on hold until further notice. To date the Council has run a successful IDP/Budget consultative meeting which culminated in the adoption of the 2019/20 IDP and budget on May 30.”
Rachidi added, “There is no truth in the assertion made by Kgwedi, and in those council meetings his political party was represented and participated in the proceedings.”
