Rand West City mayor resigns after less than two years
Just as quickly as Gladys Khoza resigned, Rand West City Local Municipality already elected a new mayor – councillor William Mathafeni Matsheke.
Gladys Khoza has officially resigned as Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) executive mayor.
News of this was confirmed by municipal spokesperson Phillip Montshiwa, who said Khoza tendered her resignation last week. Khoza was elected executive mayor of RWCLM on November 22, 2021.
Already out of office, Khoza has since been succeeded by councillor William Mathafeni Matsheke who was officially elected as the new executive mayor on October 10.
Matsheke who is the chairperson of the ANC in the West Rand region is also a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. He received 36 votes from the ruling party and 18 from the DA, while the EFF chose to abstain from the process.
Matsheke is not new to RWCLM politics. In 2016, shortly after the merger of now-defunct Westonaria and Randfontein municipalities to form RWCLM, he served as the manager in the office of the then-speaker during the tenure of Violet Nqina.
Earlier on in the day, before he was appointed the executive mayor, Matsheke was sworn in as a PR councilor, replacing councillor Brenda Mahuma who had also resigned.
According to Montshiwa, the newly appointed Matsheke will hit the ground running in his role as the executive mayor.
“With this new leadership, the municipality is looking forward to a brighter future. The mayor has vowed to focus on creating economic opportunities for all, increasing access to basic services, and protecting the environment. He expressed his commitment to developing Rand West City into a vibrant and prosperous community,” said Montshiwa.
