Mamusa Local Municipality in Schweizer-Reneke finally has a new mayor. ANC councillor, Seitebaleng Chelechele, was elected in the wee hours of Wednesday morning after the process to elect the mayor was delayed by unhappy ANC councillors on Monday and again on Tuesday afternoon.
Contrary to the earlier communication that the Mamusa council would reconvene on Friday, ney elected Speaker, Olebeng Mogorosi, got things rolling late Tuesday night.
Municipal spokesperson, Jerry Maine, said the new mayor did not get the privilege of wearing her robe like all others because of the time she was elected.
“I can confirm that the council meeting was able to sit and elect the mayor and the council was also able to elect the executive members and the representatives to the municipality. We are no longer a plenary municipality but a collective executive following the amendment act of the structure,” Maine said.
Speaker Mogorosi confirmed that councillors attended the council meeting as required on Tuesday night, with 14 councillors attending and two absent.
Two council meetings attempts to elect the mayor were adjourned as ANC councillors failed to attend. The initial sitting was disrupted on Monday where the inauguration of the mayor was supposed to happen.
The municipality said the reason for the sudden sitting and election on Tuesday night will be communicated in due course.
The ANC in the North West is angered by rhe election of a Speaker from the EFF in a secret ballot.
“In the worst act of counterrevolution, some ANC councillors who are unknown at this stage voted in favour of the candidate of the opposition, electing him a Speaker of the Mamusa Local Municipality. The ANC vehemently condemns this act of disloyalty and betrayal which undermines the will of the people of Mamusa,” the party said.
“The ANC will investigate the conduct of our councillors whose actions have brought the movement into disrepute. Our councillors have recently signed deployment contracts, committing themselves to respect the constitution of the ANC. The actions of these faceless elements constitute gross violation of our deployment contract and the ANC Constitution,” said the ANC North West interim leadership.
The ANC vowed to “spare no effort in unmasking and exposing these deceptive elements and ensure that they face the full might of the ANC Constitution”.