DA shocked, dismayed at mayor’s actions

MOKOPANE – “We attended a meeting hosted by the Mogalakwena Municipality in cooperation with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) at the Hans van Rensburg Hall last Tuesday regarding the finalised ward delimitation and we left the meeting shocked.

“The briefing was especially held for traditional leaders,” DA members, Daily Mphaho and Thapelo Pooe, told Bosveld.

Pooe and Mphaho said they welcomed the move made by the municipality and the IEC to engage with the community of Mogalakwena and the traditional leaders.

“They further said they are also happy with the fact that most of the traditional leaders attended the meeting.

“However, we are shocked and dismayed with some of the concerns raised by the traditional leaders and with the way Mayor Parks Sebatjane addressed them.

“In particular the issue raised by one of the traditional leaders during questioning, stating that the ANC councillor of ward 17, is disrespecting the traditional leadership to an extent that he allegedly even cursed the chief.

“The Mayor’s response was shocking, as instead of condemning the ward councillors’ actions, he brushed the matter aside and said the ANC cannot be held accountable for the actions of the ward councillor.

“What also astonished us is the fact that Mayor Sebatjane tried to hijack the meeting by turning it into an ANC campaign, talking about the 2016 elections, and the promises of the ANC.

“The DA equally does the same, in terms of the ward candidates where the communities are engaged. But we do not hijack public meetings to use as a platform for political purposes,” Mphaho and Pooe strongly concluded.

Comment regarding the above statement, that the Mayor used the meeting as a political campaign and that he brushed the concerns of one of the chiefs aside, was given by Malesela Selokela, municipal divisional head of communications.

“The Mayor dismisses the cheap allegations that the meeting was used to promote the ANC.

In fact the Mayor stated, during the opening address, that the meeting was not a political gathering but was convened to acquaint traditional leaders, ward committees and other invited community structures about the final ward boundaries.

The workshop was facilitated by the IEC.

“On the distasteful issue raised by one of our traditional leaders regarding alleged disrespect and cursing at the chief, the Mayor committed to take the matter forward and has already done so with the office of the Chief Whip.

“It is strange that this matter, as Bosveld states, was raised by the DA as its members greeted and chatted to the Mayor after the workshop.

“One cannot fathom why they didn’t raise their concerns to the Mayor on the spot.

“It can’t be true that the Mayor brushed the matter aside. Once more, Bosveld and other media houses are always invited to attend the public gatherings of the Mogalakwena Municipality so that they may cover the events as they unfold and not be fed with secondhand, baseless propaganda.”