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The Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality (MaP) has been at a standstill for the past four weeks, without a Speaker and a Mayor, which has left the municipality without functioning Members of the Mayoral Committee, resulting in a leadership vacuum.

On 29 August, the ANC passed a motion for the removal of the MaP16 Speaker of the council and the Executive Mayor, with an overwhelming majority. While the Democratic Alliance (DA) had anticipated a swift transition in leadership, unfortunately, that has not materialized. Despite not participating in coalition talks, we had hoped that the negotiating parties would have reached a consensus on the municipality's future leadership by now.

The continued absence of essential leaders is severely affecting the residents of MaP, as the municipality remains unable to address their urgent concerns and effectively govern. The longer this situation persists, the more the community will suffer. Therefore, prompt resolution is essential for the well-being of the municipality.

It is imperative that these vacant positions be filled without further delay to ensure accountability in MaP. The parties involved must come together, set aside personal interests, and negotiate in the best interest of the municipality's residents. Failing to reach an agreement among these parties will leave us with no choice but to call for National intervention under Section 139(7) of the South African Constitution, a measure the DA has advocated for extensively.

We urge all involved parties to expedite the process of selecting new leadership, prioritizing the needs and well-being of the community.

Issued by by Moshe Lefuma - DA Chief Whip Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality