MARCH SHOWS SUPPORT FOR EMLM EXECUTIVE MAYOR
THE ANC Komani cluster and its branches took to the streets on Wednesday to march against the call from opposition parties to remove newly elected Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) mayor Sisisi Tolashe.
The march was also to show dissatisfaction about the intention of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Fikile Xasa to place the municipality under administration.
Marchers walked from the Mzi Skweyiya hall in Mlungisi to the town hall accompanied by church leaders of different congregations.
ANC councillors and Tolashe joined the group of about a 1,000 in revolutionary songs, chanting unity and the fall of section 139 of the constitution which would allow for the implementation of provincial administration in the municipality.
A memorandum of demands drafted by the march leaders detailed why Xasa should not place the municipality under administration and how the ANC leaders in the municipality planned to root out corrupt and fraudulent leaders. Reading the memorandum before it was handed over to a representative from Cogta, ANC Komani cluster coordinator Mxolisi Oliphant said Xasa had no reason to place the municipality under administration because all the matters addressed in his letter to the municipality had been taken care of.
“All critical posts have been filled after people were in acting positions for the longest time, revenue collection has increased and the mayor and municipal manager’s turnaround strategy has not been implemented yet. The Integrated Development Plan and budget have been adopted, all municipal structures are fully functional, there is no political instability and Eskom and Milowo Enterprise Trading have been fully paid.”
Oliphant said the MEC had no reason to place an administrator in the municipality.
“It has been proven in many municipalities that the placement of an administrator is suicidal. An administrator was placed in the former Nkwanca Local Municipality and it not did improve anything but caused further turmoil – both politically and administratively.”
The demands detailed in the memorandum stated municipal manager Chris Magwangqana should be given space to execute his duties, that investigations of fraud and corruption be fast-tracked and that the MEC’s intervention be around invoking section 154 which requires Cogta to assist newly amalgamated municipalities.
The group also called on Xasa to revoke his intention of invoking section 139, strict implementation of the performance management and development system of all councillors and officials, transparency on all irregularities taking place and the return of water services to EMLM, which is overseen by the Chris Hani District Municipality, due to the district authority’s inability to manage the service.