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The DA in Mogalakwena Municipality has written to the Mayor, Ngoako Taueatsoala, to reject the irregular council sitting and appointment of a Municipal Manager at the council sitting held on 8 August 2022.

This follows after the council meeting to appoint a Municipal Manager was held 30 minutes after the Speaker of council had sent out a notice of postponement of the meeting. The Mayor then seemingly managed to get the acting Municipal Manager to preside over the election of a temporary speaker for the sole purpose of allowing the council meeting to continue.

The DA objected to the sitting proceeding and the appointment of a Municipal Manager due to the blatant flouting of rules. The continuation of the council meeting was done without rescheduling the meeting and denied all councillors the opportunity to participate in the meeting.

To further compound the issue, during the screening of candidates it was noted that the candidate that was appointed as the Municipal Manager had been acting as Chief Financial Officer and Municipal Manager respectively at Madibeng Local Municipality while it was implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank investment.

We call on the mayor to do the right thing and follow the right processes in the appointment of the municipal manager so that there is no shadow hanging over the appointed candidate. The municipality is already facing a possible legal battle on correcting the irregular appointment of about 400 general employees and cannot be embroiled in another possibly costly legal battle over an illegal or irregular appointment.

The DA will submit a motion in the next council sitting to declare the gathering on 8 August irregular and that the appointment of the Municipal Manager is annulled. The standing rules and orders of council rule 41 (sub1) which clearly states that ‘a continuation meeting must be held at the same time and venue as the meeting that was adjourned, in terms of rule 39 or 40, on or before seven days later’’

The DA is committed to holding the ANC led municipality accountable and we will keep fighting to ensure that residents receive the services that are due to them.

Issued by Councillor Daily Mphaho - DA Caucus Whip at Mogalakwena Local Municipality