Mayor’s days are numbered as new PEC purges municipal mutineers
Johan Mkhatshwa has thus far refused to step down as mayor of Nkomazi Local Municipality in Mpumalanga. Photo: FileThe newly elected Mpumalanga provincial executive committee is gunning for Nkomazi Local Municipality mayor Johan Mkhatshwa to reclaim the mayoral chain he snatched from its preferred candidate, Phindile Magagula.
The trio were given the positions on an interim basis, following a mix-up in the names on the proportional representation list submitted to the Electoral Commission of SA. But when they had to make way for the preferred candidates, they refused.They then claimed that they had uncovered massive corruption in a R103 million security tender that was awarded to the Gert Sibande regional leaders’ associates, and 14 councillors threatened to resign in solidarity if the trio was removed.
A cabal of ANC councillors, voting in cahoots with the EFF, also nominated Siphiwe Mashele as the Nkomazi council Speaker. Mashele was also not the NEC’s choice. Mkhatshwa has since appointed a mayoral committee and rewarded the EFF with a position, attended government functions and tried to appoint a municipal manager.
Mkhatshwa and the councillors’ fight was seen as another strategy to stop the provincial conference that sat last week. Their fight at municipal level mirrored the factional fights in the province led by the Focus and Ngci groupings.
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