SECUNDA – Mr Nhlakanipho Zuma, speaker of Govan Mbeki Municipality, said it is not the speaker’s prerogative to remove officials from their positions.
He was responding to requests from ward committee members who urged him to unseat Mr Thisha Mhlanga, acting municipal manager, from his position because of his failure to improve service delivery in the area.
Ward committee members demonstrated outside the municipality over poor service delivery and in support of the nine ANC councillors who decided to exclude themselves from council activities until service delivery issues were addressed.
The disgruntled ward committee members demanded to be addressed by Mr Nhlakanipho Zuma, the speaker, but he was not available.
Speaking to the Ridge Times, Mr Zuma said he would look into the issues that are in his scope of work and would refer the others to the relevant structures.
Also read: eMbalenhle businesses and residents join protesting ANC councillors
“We did not receive formal complaints. I understand the ward committee members came here to demonstrate their support of the protesting councillors.
“We will continue to engage with the councillors and will hopefully find a resolution.
“It cannot be true that ward committee members’ lives are in danger because of service delivery, they are not working for Council and are community representatives.
“How can the community beat their own?
“However we will meet with them to find out exactly what is frustrating them.”
The picketing began at the Kgotso Hall in eMbalenhle where they were supposed to have a workshop.
They stopped the workshop and said it could not be business as usual while the municipality is in a crisis.
The Govan Mbeki Municipal office was locked and security guards and Mr Mhlanga’s bodyguards monitored the situation.
Mr Mhlanga came out to meet the protesters and was told to quit his position.
Also read: [VIDEO] Ward committee members rally behind protesting councillors
Mr Collen Nkosi, ward committee member, said they were protesting peacefully and were not there to disrupt the municipal activities, but to raise their concerns.
“Thank you for listening to us, Mr Mhlanga, however we want you to pack your bags and leave our municipality peacefully.
“You have failed us, the service delivery is very poor in eMbalenhle and we are sick and tired of the situation.
“Also pass our message to the mayoral committee that they must come to eMbalenhle Stadium to address us before the end of May.
“Tell them we want the mayoral committee dissolved and the municipality placed under administration.”
Mr Mhlanga said he would take the message to the relevant structures.
While he was addressing the protesters, a group of police officers, including station commanders from all the cluster stations, led by Brig Sifiso Cele, cluster commander, pitched up.
Brig Cele told the protesters to disperse. This resulted in a commotion as the protesters were not happy with Brig Cele’s approach.
After a lengthy dialogue between Brig Cele and the protesters, the protesters left the municipal premises.
