Regional ANC wants urgent action on Makana
THE ANC in the Sarah Baartman region has called on provincial bosses to shake up the political leadership of the Makana Municipality, saying its councillors were ill-disciplined and lacked credibility.
Regional secretary Scara Njadayi said yesterday that provincial leaders were asked for the second time in a year to urgently reassess in Makana.
Speculation is that mayor Zamuxolo Peter could be replaced. However, Njadayi said the recommendations were not only about the mayor but the failure of the collective leadership.
“We recommended last year in July as the regional executive committee that the provincial leadership needs to assess … Makana,” Njadayi said.
“It is our view that the political leadership of Makana is not credible and does not complement the administration.
“We want the provincial executive committee to consider assessing the performance of our employees in that municipality – not only the mayor – and to invoke changes where necessary.”
Asked if they wanted Peter to be removed, Njadayi said the mayor was not the only ANC deployee in Makana.
“We have 19 councillors in that municipality, so when we talk about assessment we talk of all of them,” he said.
“There is evaporation of discipline in [Makana]. In the past few months they have been highly divided on the appointment of the municipal manager.
“They have not followed deployment processes of the organisation. Directors are appointed without informing the provincial leadership and the [regional executive,” he said.
Two ANC insiders in the Sarah Baartman region claim the names of the district municipality councillor Yandisa Vara and MPL Phila Nkayi were informally suggested to replace Peter. But Njadayi disputed this. “We have never discussed any names. We have received inquiries from our members in Makana about this, but we told them it is just rumours,” he said.
“If needs be that we must change the mayor … we cannot put Yandisa Vara. She is young and is more relevant to the [Sarah Baartman] municipality.
“The situation in Makana needs a senior comrade who is experienced and appealing to the community.”
Asked if he was aware of the speculation yesterday, Peter said: “I don’t know anything about those conversations. As far as I know I amstill the mayor. It is the organisation that decides to make changes. The ANC has not said anything to me.”
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said the political leadership in Makana was still being assessed and a report from administrator Pam Yako was expected next month.
“We have not yet made a decision, but we are not happy about the conduct of some mayoral committee members in that municipality,” Mabuyane said.