The DA claims that, with the help of other political parties yesterday stopped the ANC in its cadre deploying tracks.

In a press release issued this morning, the DA caucus in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (Middelburg) congratulated their Chief Whip, Cllr Palesa Mabango, on delivering and debating a proposal that stopped cadre deployment and an ANC power grab in its tracks.

The press release reads as follows: “For the past year the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality has been plagued by continual strikes which reached its peak last week with the fatal and critical shooting of employees and a member of the public.

It is a pity that these events had to occur before the Department of Co-operative Government and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) decided to intervene.

During a special council meeting yesterday, the MEC of Cogta, Mandla Ndlovu, tabled a report before council for the secondment of an acting municipal manager to the municipality.

After pressing the MEC and his team for an action plan which the new acting municipal manager would implement, their only reply was that an ‘independent and impartial acting municipal manager would be able to salvage the situation” followed by threats to dissolve council if we did not vote in favour of the secondment.

The candidate proposed, Minah Maredi, was the municipal manager of Victor Khanye Local Municipality and Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality, both of which suffered from financial troubles and mismanagement during and after her terms.

She was also implicated in wrongfully investing money in the VBS Mutual Bank during her term as municipal manager at Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality.

The DA therefore moved a motion that the secondment be halted and the process to appoint a municipal manager be fast tracked, as the candidate selection process has concluded.

We firmly believe that the permanent appointment of a qualified and experienced municipal manager with professional working ethics would bring stability to the municipality and end the illegal strikes once and for all.

The motion to halt the secondment was ultimately passed with 29 in favour and 18 not in favour of the motion. The Democratic Alliance is, as always, committed to the residents we serve and will always keep their best interests in mind with all we do.