SEDIBENG.– The DA, the EFF and ActionSA said that the removal of Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM) Executive Mayor Lerato Maloka, in a Motion of No Confidence (MONC) on Wednesday was long overdue.

In a DA-initiated move, 49 councillors participated, Maloka was voted out by the majority.

“For far too long the Sedibeng District Municipality, and the Emfuleni Local Municipality, under the ANC, have been in a state of decay, riddled with corruption, incompetence, mismanagement, and poor service delivery. Under Maloka’s leadership the municipality failed to address basic issues such as electricity and water supply,” EFF Sedibeng Chairperson, Isaac Khithika said.

Action SA’s Emfuleni Chairperson, Bongani Dhlamini said: “Following the successful Motion of No Confidence at the previously ANC Coalition-led Sedibeng District Municipality, ActionSA urges whoever will come in to prioritise serving the community of Sedibeng, and not personal interests. Service delivery must be the order of the day.”

Dhlamini said that ActionSA will be watching closely, like a hawk, that the incoming administration delivers to the people of Sedibeng.

The DA in SDM welcomed the successful Motion of No Confidence brought against Maloka and said that SDM is finally rid of the,  “Ineffective, and problematic Executive Mayor Maloka.”

The DA-sponsored motion passed with 26 votes in favour of the Motion of No Confidence , and 21 votes against. Two councillors abstained from voting. Within the next 14 days, another council meeting will be convened where a new mayor will be elected.

“In the run-up to this meeting, the DA will consider all its options as we continue to act in the best interest of all residents in the Sedibeng District,” the party said.

This Motion of No Confidence was brought last year, following what the DA said was a failure on Maloka’s part to, amongst other things, implement the financial recovery plan, as was required of her by the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, leaving the municipality’s finances in limbo.

“This, alongside a hefty increase in fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure, unfunded budgets and allowing the municipality to reach a point where 75% of its finances is being spent on salaries, severely impacting service delivery, made her exit today a foregone conclusion,” the DA said.

The party further stated that Maloka failed in her statutory and moral obligations to the municipality, its employees, and its people.

“Whilst the municipality struggles to pay salaries, the mayor felt it prudent to spend more than R550 000 on a trip to Germany. But most shockingly, she refused to use a Mercedes Benz GLB provided to her for an entire year. When she was finally forced to use it by the council, the car developed mechanical problems – technicians found that brown sugar had been poured into the engine.”

The party concluded by saying they were proud to have contributed to the end of Maloka’s reign.

“We will always, wherever we are, put residents’ needs first. Our goal is to prioritise the people of Sedibeng. The only way they will be put first is if an effective government is put in place that will ensure an end to corruption, and work towards the provision of services. Today is a good day for Sedibeng, an ineffective mayor must leave her seat. During her tenure, Mayor Maloka lost the physical mayoral chain, and today, she has finally been relieved of her duties.”

Asked for a comment, ANC Sedibeng Secretary, Jason Mkhwane said: “We are still having internal engagements and will issue a statement afterwards.”