Ex-PSJ mayor returns to being chief

“THE ANC decided that I am useless and no longer needs me, but if I no longer have value to the ANC, I still believe I have value to my community.”

These are the words of former Port St Johns (PSJ) mayor Phikolomzi Langa, who has decided to go back to leading the Zwaligugi Traditional Authority in Tombo, where he is the local chief.

Langa, who has been PSJ mayor for 12 months, until he was replaced by Lindelwa Rhulobile two weeks ago, also failed to make the cut as an ordinary councillor, making him one of the biggest casualties of the elections.

But all is not lost for the traditional leader, as he now prepares for life as the chief of his area.

“I was never born to be a mayor. My community still needs me. I believe I still have value to my community even if I no longer have value to the ANC.

“I still have a lot to do in my community. I just thought that the leadership of the ANC would have told me that they are no longer interested in my services,” he said, adding that he was never told why his term as mayor had not been renewed, nor was he told why he did not make the cut as councillor.

During his time as mayor of a town deeply dependent on tourism he eventually advertised five positions for permanent lifeguards amid an ongoing dispute between the municipality and the lifeguards over pay.

Two SANDF soldiers drowned at the town’s notoriously dangerous Second Beach in April and there have been no less that seven shark attacks there since 2012.

Despite saying he was puzzled by how the process of replacing him had been handled, Langa thanked the ANC for exposing him to local government.

He plans to use some of this experience in his traditional leadership role to better people’s lives, hinting that there was a planned shopping centre for Tombo.

Langa said on Tuesday there was an imbizo held at his Tombo Great Place where his subjects came out in their hundreds to welcome him back to their community.

Langa was placed at number 15 on the ANC proportional representative (PR) list but the ruling party only garnered 11 PR seats in council.

“Being placed at number 15 was an indication to me that they were not interested in me. It was intended that I don’t return to council,” he said.

However, ANC provincial deputy chairman Sakhumzi Somyo said where one was placed on the list did not automatically qualify them for a troika position.

He gave the example of former Buffalo City Metro mayor Alfred Mtsi being deployed as speaker despite not being placed high on the party’s list. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za