At the 39th Special Council meeting on the 25th October 2024, the Freedom Front + (FF+) decided to field their own candidate, garnering a mere 5 votes, allowing a boosted opportunity for the ANC to take the mayoral chain. This follows the resignation of former Mayor Danny Thupane two weeks ago.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) put forward Ald Tyrone Gray as the mayoral candidate, the FF+ put forward Ald Tjaart Steenkamp, splitting the vote and allowing the African National Congress (ANC) a majority victory.
Cllr Lucky Sele seemingly almost derailed, the election due to a potential breach of section 36(5) of the Municipal Structures act 117 of 1998. This confusion was shown when Cllr Sele accidentally addressed himself as speaker.
Clearly nothing will change for Mogale City Local Municipality, as recently a new BMW X3 was purchased for the Executive Mayor, R880,000- spent just on catering in the last financial year, while increasing electrical tariffs to astronomically unaffordable amounts.
The ANC/EFF have proven yet again that they are a careless government only concerned with personal gain.
The FF+ has been protecting the MEC of GDARD by failing to table any oversight reports. Yet they are in the media walking around the landfill sites and game reserve, yielding no action.
The DA Mogale through the Minister of DFFE Hon Dion George, escalated Percy Stewart which saw the President intervene in the state of the sewerage crisis in Mogale. The DA also wrote to the MEC of Environment for action, MEC Shyla Pieters of the PA (Patriotic Alliance), to intervene. It has been more than 51 days after the MEC’s oversight visit and not one single report on action has been received.
We will continue to fight for what is right for the residents of Mogale City.