Killing of councillors a big scare

Professionals won’t risk work for council

Municipalities across the country will be unable to attract qualified people if the killings of councillors continue.

This is the warning from the SA Local Government Association (Salga) issued yesterday as killings of councillors across the country continue unabated.

“We are going to have a situation where professionals are afraid to serve local government because they are afraid to be killed the next day,” Salga deputy president Sebenzile Ngangelizwe told Sowetan.

“Very few professionals would decide to join local government.”

This means that, Ngangelizwe said, local government, which is the first point of contact people have with the government, will not have the right people who can contribute meaningfully to changing the lives of ordinary people.

Ngangelizwe, who is also the Lejweleputswa district municipality mayor in Welkom, Free State, painted a grim picture, saying most of the killings happen when councillors were at their houses sitting with their families.

However, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has different take on the matter. He blamed the killings to “infighting within the ANC and fight over the control of and access to tenders”.

“This is a battle of stomachs,” Holomisa said

Last month Sowetan reported municipal councillors across the country were demanding the state provide them with the same security as ministers. They cited examples of several councillors whose homes were torched or who were attacked during service delivery protests.

Most councillors live in townships, and municipalities do not provide them with security.