By Trudie Grovè-Morgan: MPL – DA Spokesperson on CoGTA
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga will write to the Premier, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, and CoGta MEC, Busisiwe Shiba, requesting them to place the Msukaligwa Local Municipality under administration.
The current ANC infighting is so severe that it is effectively forcing service delivery to a halt.
This week, the ANC suspended Mayor Babekiwe Mahlalela, Speaker Vuyiswa Madini and the Chief Whip, Samkelo Buthelezi allegedly for refusing to vacate their acting positions which they resumed after the November 2021 Local Government Elections.
Mpumalanga ANC Acting Secretary, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, said the three were advised to vacate the positions but they refused, hence their suspension and waiting to go through party disciplinary processes.
While the ANC fights, sewers are overflowing, potholes are not being fixed, plastic and rubbish bins remain uncollected and water and electricity woes continue.
Residents hear nothing from their municipal representatives because they are busy fighting amongst themselves.
Apparently, the suspended trio had been seconded to the Council (after the elections) on a temporary basis – that is after the ANC allegedly found discrepancies with their list ahead of the November elections.
It has been reported that they had an agreement with the ANC that they were only acting on those positions until suitable candidates are found, but they refused to do so when the time arrived.
Msukaligwa is one of the worst performing local municipalities in Mpumalanga, and the internal fighting between deployed ANC senior officials and corruption are probably the biggest contributing factors to their dismal performance.
For the sake of progress and service delivery, Premier Mtshweni-Tsipane and CoGta MEC Shiba must place this municipality under administration until they sort out their issues.
The other solution and way forward for residents in our municipalities is to vote out the ANC and vote in the DA a party that has a clean and trustworthy track record in all the municipalities where it governs. Significant change has been seen in all the municipalities governed by the DA.
It is only the DA that is capable and ready to haul this municipality out of its troubles and restore faith to residents who have for many years seen no improvement in the conditions under which the ANC has subjected them to.
