SASOLBURG – Chaos erupted at one of the Metsimaholo Local Municipality Integrated Development Plan (IDP) roadshows.
This is after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and African National Congress (ANC) councillors caused havoc at Bekezela Primary School when they demanded the mayor to present the IDP plan.
According to the Mayor, their roadshow was rather normal since the beginning on Monday, April 17 until two councillors prevented the plan to be shared to the community.
EFF’s Manana Mozolo and ANC’s Lunga Mthetho were outraged when the CFO presented the IDP.
WATCH: Metsimaholo Local Municplaity's IDP meeting disrupted by councilors, demanding that Mayor Jeff Zwame present the draft document rather than the CFO.#SedibengSter #Metsimaholo #IDP pic.twitter.com/tdwIhaCrsf
— Sifiso Jimta (@JimtaSifiso) April 21, 2023
Speaking during the meeting, Mzolo said only the mayor should present the draft document.
“We don’t want the CFO to present the IDP, we want the mayor,” she said as a small crowd cheered her remarks.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Executive Mayor of Metsimaholo, Jeff Zwane said “Since Monday, we’ve been embarking on a draft budget roadshow and everything was going accordingly. On Wednesday, we had an incident where wards 19 and 23 were involved. All was well until I handed over to the CFO to present the budget.
“The two councilors disrupted the meeting claiming that no official should address the public and particularly wanted me to address the gathered crowds,” he said.
Zwane said councilors should lead by example and not hinder the opportunity given to the residents to raise their grievances.
“Councilors have to make sure that they work in the best interest of the municipality and not against it. The community was eager to listen to the budget set to be presented and raise their issues, thereafter, but our very own councillors had to take the center stage and prevent the proceedings to go on.
“What matters is the presentation and not the individual assigned to present the document. What is important is the participation of residents on issues they facing. In this case, the people were denied the opportunity to indicate their needs by the very own councilors in their community who should be serving them,” he said.
Zwane said the meeting had to be stopped due to the chaos caused by the two ward councillors.
