New municipality convenes
The first meeting of the City of Mbombela Local Municipality kicked off on Thursday with the voting in of a new speaker, mayor and chief whip.
MBOMBELA – There was a full house with members of the public, media, councillors and representatives from other municipalities in the province attending the first meeting of the City of Mbombela Local Municipality at the Mbombela council chambers.
The local municipalities of Mbombela and Umjindi was officially formed into a single unit, following the local government elections. Mpumalanga was the only province in South Africa where the ANC won an outright majority in each of the municipalities it governed prior to voting day, and the City of Mbombela was no different.
The municipal elections saw the ANC winning 69 seats, the DA claiming 13 and the EFF managing to win six. The Residence Association of South Africa and the Freedom Front Plus (Vryheidfront Plus) parties each holds one seat.
Also read: Name of new municipality in Mpumalanga announced
Official proceedings began with the swearing in of the elected councillors by senior magistrate, Ms Annamarie van der Merwe.
Cllr Mandla Msibi, ANC councillor of Ward 2B in Daantjie Trust, Pienaar, was voted in via secret ballot as the first speaker of the new municipal council with 67 of the 87 votes cast. He ensured new members knew what was expected of them.
The elections are gone. Let’s roll up our sleeves and go to work for our people. If you are not going to behave, I will not hesitate to take you out,” Msibi warned.
There were no surprises with the election of Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi as executive mayor. He has already served for a number of years as mayor of Mbombela.
Cllr Meshack Nsimbini, former ANC chief whip for Umjindi, took over as chief whip for the new municipality.
The former two entities’ municipal managers, Mr Noko Seanego and Mr Patrick Msibi, are now acting as municipal manager and deputy municipal manager, respectively.
Spokesman Mr Joseph Ngala explained that they had contracts with the former municipal entities and the positions of all Section 56 managers (those who answer to the municipal manager) will be re-advertised.
“The gazette was very clear that nobody would lose their jobs,” he told Lowvelder. “Once the new municipality is graded we will embark on the long, drawn-out placement process, but first we start with the top structures.”
Also read: Deadline looms for comments on new municipality
