Govan Mbeki Municipality appoints new MMC and welcomes new councillor
Mayor says the new appointment will stabilise and strengthen the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Department.
Marius Masinga, Ward 31 councillor in eMbalenhle, is the new Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) MMC for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, as announced at a special council meeting on November 18.
Masinga’s appointment follows a media briefing held by the executive mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, on November 11, where he announced that the municipality had assessed the performance of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Department after the resignation of Ward 14 Clr Jabu Zwane, who previously held the MMC position.
The mayor stated that the assessment showed a need to appoint a new MMC to stabilise and strengthen the department. Zwane resigned on May 28, citing unresolved issues within his party, the ANC, and within the municipality, concerns he said he had raised several times without receiving a response.
Although Zwane later withdrew his resignation following engagements with the ANC’s Gert Sibande regional leadership, the municipality had already declared the Ward 14 seat vacant.
However, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) rejected the declaration, stating that the municipality had missed the legal deadline for reporting the vacancy.
According to Section 18(1)(a) and (b) of the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, when a councillor resigns, dies, or is expelled by their party, the municipal manager must notify the IEC’s chief electoral officer within 14 days, but the municipality declared the vacancy in August.
After rejecting the late declaration, the IEC advised the municipality to re-declare the vacancy through the MEC for Human Settlements, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Speedy Mashilo.
The vacancy was eventually declared in September following pressure from political parties ahead of the November 5 by-elections.
During the by-election, the ANC retained the ward, with Bishop Fana Nzimande emerging as the new councillor. Nzimande was also introduced as the Ward 14 councillor during the council meeting in his absence, pending being sworn in.
On November 19, Nzimande was sworn in by Magistrate Mikateko Sithole at the Evander Magistrate’s Court.
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