Mixed emotions in final council

Executive mayor Nomhle Gaga was eager to ensure that the current council of Makana Municipality cleaned up administrative issues before handing over the reins to the new Council after the 3 August local government elections.

Gaga was speaking at the final council meeting of the current administration of Makana Municipality last Friday. Gaga said it was important for the current administration to prepare a hand-over report for the new team that will take over after the elections. During the meeting she urged councillors and officials to enjoy their last meeting.

“We must enjoy this meeting because it is the last one for us,” she said.

Gaga said she hoped that the new group would focus on revenue collection. She also spoke out against the living conditions of Eluxolweni residents who are without running water or flushing toilets in their RDP houses, despite being in the area for more than five years. She said the municipality had received R150 million from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation to deal with issues such as those faced by the residents of the area.

Gaga said the residents should be able to use their flushing toilets by the end of July because there was a budget for that.

“There is no excuse for us to see the people of Eluxolweni living like that. By the end of July the people of Eluxolweni must flush, the budget is there, nobody must live like that,” she said. Gaga also thanked everyone who participated in the turn-around of the municipality, especially for doing their best to sort out the issues of Alicedale.

Some councillors bade farewell to the council after serving for more than two decades.

DA caucus leader Les Reynolds, who has been a councillor in Makana for more than twenty years, bade an emotional farewell to his fellow councillors. Given a special opportunity by Council Speaker Yandisa Vara, Reynolds along with fellow retiring councillor Julie Wells, said he had come to a decision to leave Makana after 23 years of service. Reynolds said being a councillor in Makana had become part of his life.

“It’s going to be life-changing for me not to prepare for council and portfolio meetings after doing it for so long,” he said. Congress of the People’s (Cope) Nozipho Plaatjie, whose political future is unclear at this stage, was also given an opportunity by Vara to say a few words.

Reynolds said he was hoping to join the Sarah Baartman District Municipality, which would mean he would be able to remain in the loop with Makana issues.

Referring to Gaga, Vara and acting municipal manager Riana Meiring, Reynolds jokingly said throughout his time in Makana he never thought he would be bossed by three women. He complimented the trio on the role they have played in the last six to eight months and said he hopes they come back after the elections.

He also thanked fellow DA councillors and wished all the councillors who want to come back the best of luck.

“Despite political affiliation we have worked very well together in council,” he said.

Wells, who is the Chief Whip of the majority party is also not returning after the end of the current term after serving as an ANC councillor for 15 years.

In her speech Wells said she wanted to appreciate the fact that the current council has worked very hard and enthusiastically towards national imperatives.

Wells said their last council meeting felt like a fitting finale and acknowledged that they had been through some very difficult times over the last five years.

“We have been through times and it has been a massive team effort, in which we have seen a lot of corrective measures,” she said, adding that “I hope the next council learns from our mistakes”.

Plaatjie, who was the solitary councillor for Cope in the current council said the

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