Mokgalapa must go now: Why ANC Gauteng still wants no confidence motion against outgoing Tshwane mayor
4 February 2020
The ANC in Gauteng will meet with the party's Tshwane regional leadership and hold a special provincial executive committee meeting on Sunday to discuss developments in the capital city with the aim of plotting a way forward.
But first the party's caucus in Tshwane must push for the immediate removal of outgoing executive mayor Stevens Mokgalapa, says ANC Gauteng secretary Jacob Khawe.
On Sunday, Mokgalapa announced he would be resigning at the council's next sitting, set to take place later this month.
His announcement came less than 24 hours after News24 revealed that he had been backed into a corner by his own party, the DA: Resign or be fired.
Mokgalapa had been on special leave since November 2019, following the release of an audio recording purported to be of him and former Transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge engaging in an intimate act at the municipal offices.
'Nothing to resolve'
On the tape, the mayor and the then MMC are heard making disparaging remarks about fellow party members, something which angered many in the DA.
He returned to work this week, saying this was to finish off some of his projects and to deliver services to the people of Tshwane.
Khawe said while the ANC in the province welcomed his resignation as mayor, the party had instructed its caucus to "reject" the date on which Mokgalapa wished to leave office.
"He has been out of there with scandals and has not been running the city, he has nothing to resolve," said Khawe.
Khawe said when former DA mayor Herman Mashaba announced he was resigning as City of Johannesburg mayor he had key projects to bring to finality, including the re-opening the M2 highway.
"This is nothing but a delay tactic by the DA. The motion against Mokgalapa must still stand," said Khawe.
He said the ANC in the capital city must petition the speaker for the motion of no confidence on Mokgalapa to be presented and debated.
"His resignation confirms what the ANC has been saying: The DA has no plan to run the city," Khawe said.
The provincial secretary - recalling Mokgalapa's predecessor Solly Msimanga's tenure - said it was obvious both leaders didn't have the right skills and vision to run the capital.
"This shows the story of everywhere they govern [is] better is not true," said Khawe.
On the way forward, he said the ANC was now having discussions about the municipality's future and the role it will play in that.
"We had not been discussing the way forward but asking them to just deal with Mokgalapa's removal. Now we deal with Tshwane and what its people deserve," Khawe said.
"Is the ANC ready to govern Tshwane, to govern with other people or is it comfortable remaining the opposition in Tshwane?" questioned Khawe, saying Sunday's PEC meeting would finalise the ANC's position on the matter.
