The Moses Kotane Local Municipality in Mogwase near Sun City in the North West has elected Maria Matshaba as the new speaker. Mashaba was elected permanently during a council sitting held on Friday. She has been acting in the position since October 2024, following a chaos that erupted when the then speaker Gugu Mtshali questioned the legality of the sitting, which she said was called by the municipal manager, Mokopane Letsoalo, without her knowledge.
The council speakers are according to the law authorised to call all and preside over all council sittings.In a widely shared video, bouncers were seen entering the council chamber and removed Mtshali along with some members of the public, who protested her alleged manhandling by the bouncers.Matshaba’s appointment was welcomed by different political party’s councillors, who pledged their “commitment to working collaboratively to ensure the effective functioning of the council.
”The municipality spokesperson Berlina Lekgethwane said the council was orderly and observed a decorum until the end.“The Council’s Chief Whip Lucky Moate reiterated the need for councillors to take development and service delivery seriously, emphasizing that the municipality’s primary mandate is to improve the lives of the community. He concluded by urging all councillors to support the newly elected speaker in her new role,” said Lekgethwane.
