ANC PEC denies rumours that Merafong mayor has no intention of resigning 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has voiced its concern over mayor of Merafong Municipality, Maphefo Mogale-Letsie, who was dismissed last week, is still in office. 

Mogale-Letsie and former West Rand municipality mayor Boyce Maneli were dealt with by the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC), after a recommendation from the provincial integrity committee (PIC). 

Maneli was recalled as an ANC MP, and Mogale-Letsie let go of her job as mayor. She will, however, remain an ANC MP. 

Maneli is accused of making R77 million worth of deposits to defunct VBS Mutual Bank before its collapse, and Mogale-Letsie is alleged to have been complicit in a deposit of more than R50 million to VBS by the municipality’s former budget and treasury manager and CFO, Thys Wienekus. 

Wienekus has since appeared in court to face charges of contravening the Municipality Finance Management Act, Carletonville Herald reported.

But according to the DA, Mogale-Letsie has no intention of stepping down, with DA Constituency Head of Merafong, Ina Cilliers, saying that Mogale-Letsie told councillors that she was asked to resign and not instructed to do so, “and feels that it is her right to refuse”.

Cilliers’ scathing statement said that the lack of action with regards to Mogale-Letsie’s resignation “shows that the ANC structure, including the integrity commission, along with the PEC, are toothless and are unable to root our cadres who facilitate corruption”.

“In addition, this also has implications for President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose seven-page appeal to his party shows that it is more talk and no action.”

Cilliers told The Citizen that the ANC can remove Mogale-Letsie from their PR list and inform the electoral commission of South Africa (IEC), “which will effectively mean she no longer has a seat in Council”.

“They have not done so, which questions the political will of the entire process,” she said. 

The DA’s concerns that Mogale-Letsie is in a position to refuse orders from the PIC was quelled by PEC spokesperson Bones Modise. 

Modise told The Citizen that the resignation of Mogale-Letsie is going to happen, adding that she would not be made to resign as a councillor. 

He said he would not tolerate the opposition party’s “rumour-mongering”, saying that if the DA was concerned about corruption, they would have done more to rid their own party of members accused of such crimes. 

“The PEC has taken a decision, and that decision will be implemented,” he asserted. 

“Members of the opposition party will say anything to mobilise votes for them.”

Modes did not provide a timeline of when the Merafong mayor will officially resign, but remained adamant that it will happen. 

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