DA appoints mayoral committee in Mogale City, while Gauteng metros stay in limbo

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Friday announced its mayoral committee members for Mogale City Local Municipality, in the West Rand, which comprises councillors from the opposition benches.

But there is still no word from the party on the appointment of members of mayoral committees (MMCs) and the chairpersons of council oversight committees for the DA-run metropolitans of Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.

It’s been almost three weeks since the party’s mayors for the metros – Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse, Tshwane mayor Randall Williams and Ekurhuleni Mayor Tania Campbell – were elected in council through the support of opposition parties, and the ANC is now piling pressure on the DA to appoint the MMCs.

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It’s understood that the delay in the appointment of MMCs is due to a deadlock between the DA and ActionSA on the modalities of the process and the allocation of key portfolios.

In Mogale City, which was one of the hung municipalities after last month’s municipal elections, the DA’s mayor Tyrone Gray announced a mixed bag of MMCs.

These included councillors from the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM).

The MMCs announced by Gray were:

• Finance: Jacobus Holtzhausen (DA)

• Corporate support services : Aletta Van Loggerenberg (DA)

• Utilities management services: Kagiso Lekagane (DA)

• Local economic development: Zillah Wehinger-Maguire (DA)

• Public works, roads and transport: Louis Whitey Moleba (DA)

• Integrated environmental management: Edwina Mahne (DA)

• Social development: Lesego Lucia Lekoto (DA)

• Public safety: Lydia Sokwang Lebesa (ACDP)

• Sports, heritage, arts, recreation and culture: Bongani Nkosi (IFP)

• Human settlements and rural development: Danny Molefi Thupane (ATM)

‘Getting the basics right’

The DA’s Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga welcomed the mayoral committee appointed in Mogale City, saying the party was delighted with the appointments made.

Msimanga said the party trusted that the MMCs were capable and would work hard to address the serious service delivery challenges, financial mismanagement and lack of economic growth and productivity that has plagued the municipality.

“By getting the basics right, mayor Gray and his mayco team will work to restore service delivery, revitalise the local economy and fix the public transport system.

“While success will not be achieved overnight, the DA will prove to the residents of Mogale City that where there is political will and commitment to clean governance, service delivery and prosperity will follow,” he said in a statement.

ANC threatens legal action

Meanwhile, the ANC and Gauteng cooperative governance MEC, Lebogang Maile, raised concerns this week over the delays in the appointment of MMCs in the DA-run metros in Gauteng.

Maile on Tuesday said although there was no prescribed time frame in law for mayors to appoint MMCs, the appointments should be made within a reasonable time.

He said the delays were a cause for concern as this could affect service delivery and the proper functioning of municipalities.

The ANC’s caucus leaders in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni demanded that the DA appoints the MMCs without delay, claiming that the metros were running on autopilot as the core service delivery departments remained without political leadership.

The ANC’s whip of caucus in Ekurhuleni, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, gave the DA an ultimatum to put in place the mayoral
committee and council structures before the end of this week or else they would pursue legal action.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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