With local government elections done and dusted, communities want what they were promised during campaigns; which is services.
But before services can be delivered, municipalities must be formed and in the Free State, African National Congress(ANC) retained an outright majority in Mangaung the rest are hung municipalities.
The ANC got the most votes in each of Free State’s 19 municipalities and retained the Mangaung Metro though by the slimmest margins of 50.63, down from 56.52% in 2016.
Step Up SA News has learned that at least 5 names have been submitted to the National Working Committee for consideration and interviews scheduled for next week and the Univesity of Free State Alumnus Jabu Mbalula is tipped to be the mayor next year.
Others names on the list are; former mayor Thabo Manyoni, Lawrance Mathae, Mxolisi Siyonzana and Mapaseka Nkwane. This after Lechesa Tsenoli’s name was rejected.
Mbalula completed a BA Governance and Political Transformation in 2014, and a postgrad in Labour Law in 2015. In 2016 (second semester), he commenced with my studies for the Master of Public Administration but had to abandone his studies when he became the ambassador to Romania in 2017.
Mbalula is a former Department of Health spin doctor and has been credited for setting up National Youth Commission.
Under Mbalula’s chairmanship the national youth commission had developed a youth policy development framework, started a farm project and hosted civic education projects, among other things.
According to a source who spoke on condition on anonymity Manyoni might give Mbalula a tough time.
“Thabo knows local government in and out and that’s where Mbalula will come second.”
Another source said Manyoni is going to finish what is left of Mangaung.
“Thabo is going to finish what is left of Mangaung, we have not forgotten the taxi rank that remains unused to this day while R400 MILLION is gone and all his public comments when he was contesting Magashule. ANC is not serious, they learned nothing from elections.”
Interim Provincial Committe spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane said.
“The ANC does not regard municipalities as places for retirement, there are branches that proposed cadre Manyoni to be a PR candidate, that’s why he is on the list.”
Both Jabu Mbalula and Thabo Manyoni could not be reached for comment.
Mangaung residents are up in arms demanding a mayor to be from Bloemfontein pointing all senior government positions from MECs, HODs and other state enties like Centlec all have people from outside Bloemfontein.
A source close to mangaung forum told Step Up SA News Dr Moeketsi Mosola should be in government.
“Dr Mosola is not these honorary doctors running around with zero knowledge, he studied for his doctorate at one of the best institutions and he should be heading Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. He ran affairs of Tshwane Metro. Surely that counts for something.”
Meanwhile the Mangaung Concerned Community has threatened to shut down the City should their demands not be met.
Speaking to Step Up SA News Themba Zweni said we demand:
- All Councillors sign the Commitment to Rebuild the City agreement on or before the 15th of November 2021.
- All parties represented in Council to also sign such a commitment on or before the 15th of November 2021.
- There must be transparency in Executive Mayoral selection processes meaning all mayoral candidates must be interviewed publicly. PS: If judges can be interviewed openly where members of the public can follow such interviews, why can’t we do the same with Executive Mayors, Speaker and Executive Management Teams’ appointment processes?
- An end to the overtime and acting in higher positions’ scam.
- We demand the immediate advertisement of all critical posts in the Municipality including those of general workers in the Service Delivery Cluster. We demand more transparent and swift ways of employing the said incumbents.
- All other spheres of government and business owing the municipality must pay their outstanding municipal bills within 60 days or make acceptable arrangements.
- We also call on defaulting residents, who are able to pay, to pay for the services received and those unable to pay to register as indigents.
- We call on the municipality to implement the joint Works Programme as well as all other programmes aimed at creating employment for the City’s inhabitants.
- Fast tracking of purchasing process of the farms meant for the Khayelitsha and Gatvol residents.
- Contractor Development databases be set up with immediate effect to cater for lower CIDB grades.”
In other news there is ongoing confusion around the appointment of Mxolisi Dukwana who according to his appointment letter signed by Premier Sefora Ntombela on the 1 October 2021, is the MEC for COGTA and Human Settlement while the press release mentioned COGTA only.
Currently MEC for Human Settlement and Public Works is Anges Koloi.
This is a developing story.
Please we need to look seriously into our powerstation ” Centlec” why do we have loadshedding while in the past we never relied on Eskom, its function was service towns and farms
I support the move by Mangaung Concerned Community, as a resident of Mangaung, born and bred in Mangaung, we are sick and tired of being overlooked, the Municipality is full of people from outside the city, we have men and women who are capable to occupy those positions but all the time it’s ppl from outside, n the issue recycling ppl on these higher positions ai!