Tshwane’s new mayor told he is inheriting mayhem
THE ANC has wished the incoming Tshwane mayor, Stevens Mokgalapa, well, saying his term would be tough because of the mismanagement of the previous mayor, Solly Msimanga.
“It’s an unfortunate situation that such a decent, liberal gentleman as Stevens Mokgalapa has to inherit mayhem in this city, caused by his predecessor, [Msimanga] the poster boy of corruption. You are inheriting R5 billion in unauthorised expenditure. There is nothing decent that you are inheriting,” ANC Tshwane regional chairperson Kgosi Maepa told a special council meeting shortly after Mokgalapa’s election.
“You are inheriting a broken vehicle. With no wheels, no parts, no spare wheel, no windscreen. Brace yourself for a rough ride. You have invited the ANC [to work with you] but I don’t think you understand what you are inviting.
“We hoped you would talk about the terrible situation in our city – we don’t have lights, robots don’t work. We have sewer system blockages. Your predecessor failed terribly to reach out to the people, to resolve their problems.”
The ANC said it would continue to expose the rot left by the DA’s Msimanga.
“We hope that the path you walk is that of representing the people. If you start exhibiting the tendencies we’ve seen here, you must know that the ANC will rise like the sea and you will be wiped away,” Maepa cautioned Mokgalapa.
The DA’s Mokgalapa was elected the new mayor after being the only nominated member for the vacant post.
The post was vacated by Msimanga at the end of January. Only the DA nominated a candidate – with the ANC, through councillor Aaron Maluleka, indicating it was not taking part in the election. The EFF didn’t nominate a candidate either.
EFF Tshwane regional chairperson Moafrika Mabongwana cautioned Mokgalapa to stay on the straight and narrow, respecting the will of the people of Tshwane.
“We want to send a stern warning that you must not appoint a mayoral committee of lazy people. You must not use your position to terrorise officials who differ from you. You must at all times act in the interests of the people of Tshwane, above your own interests,” Mabongwana said, to applause from the EFF benches.
Mabongwana told the council that his party did not support Mokgalapa’s nomination and election because they knew “very little” about him.
“We want to be clear to the people of Tshwane that we did not vote for the new executive mayor [Mokgalapa], precisely because there is little known about him. We cannot risk supporting a person of unknown credentials and capacity to lead a municipality as big as Tshwane,” Mabongwana said shortly after Mokgalapa’s election.
“We don’t want to take a risk or repeat the mistake we made in supporting Msimanga. So we did not support him [Mokgalapa] because we don’t know him.” |