NW ANC mass mayor recall a desperate smokescreen

5 December 2018

Following the announcement made by the failing ANC’s North West Provincial Task Team (PTT) that it will recall eight mayors, the DA reiterates its call to have these municipalities dissolved under Section 139(1)(c) to allow the people to elect a new DA government that will be able to put a complete stop to corruption and looting, improve governance and deliver quality basic services.

The DA remains the only party with an excellent track record of financial management, speeding up service delivery and good governance. The DA is ready to bring this kind of real change to North West.

This mass recall is nothing but a smokescreen. While the ANC may recall its mayors, it is up to those mayors to tender their resignations, which will allow for vacancies to be declared and new mayors elected.

As is known with ANC internal factionalism, these mayors, the bulk of whom fall in the Supra Mahumapelo faction, will not go quietly. In all likelihood motions of no confidence will be tabled in these mayors, and if what we have seen in Matlosana Local Municipality, with the election, resignation and re-election of mayors in a merry-go-round fashion, it further destabilises local governance and hampers service delivery.

The abuse of process in pursuit of internal factional interests serves only the failing ANC and not the people.

These mayors were not the sole responsible culprits for illegally investing service delivery money in VBS Bank. The municipal managers who serve as the accounting officers signed off on these illegal transfers, and in some cases, municipal managers were overruled through the appointment of acting municipal managers.

In order to process such payments, resolutions from council is a prerequisite, and in these instances the entire council who voted in favour of these illegal transfers are responsible.

Replacing one failing ANC mayor with another failing ANC mayor will not bring change to the North West. We do not have a mayor problem, we have an ANC problem.

Change will only come with the removal of the ANC.

Issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Premier Candidate, 5 December 2018