The African National Congress (ANC) is to remove its own mayor in the Lephalale local municipality in Limpopo. This will be done through a motion of no confidence in the next council sitting to be held within ten days.
Party’s councillors failed to table the motion to remove their fellow councillor Alpheus Thulare from the mayor’s position. The decision to remove Thulare follows the ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) resolution that councillor Aaron Mokgehle must be appointed to the mayoral position and Thulare be redeployed elsewhere.
Thulare is going to be replaced by Aaron Mokgehle, that’s according to the ANC PEC resolution. Thulare was appointed as mayor on an interim basis following a dispute arising from the ANC mayoral candidate list during last year’s municipal elections. Thulare is apparently refusing to resign, as per the party’s instruction.
The spokesperson for ANC Waterberg region, Seraka Mapeka, says they will proceed with the motion to remove Thulare. “He was given until last week Friday he did not resign so as result we will be proceeding as an African National Congress to put in a motion of no confidence that is going take place some times next week the motion could not take place today in the basis that the standing rule of the council does not allow us to.”
The opposition parties, DA and Freedom Front Plus have expressed concerns about the scuffle over the mayor’s position.
DA councillor Esrom Setho and his FFPlus colleague Hendrik Venter say the decision to remove the mayor will negatively affect service delivery in the area. “We are not here to deal with the ANC things that they want to remove the mayor they want to put in another mayor that one must be left with the ANC. The special wasn’t much what we heard is that for remove the mayor for us but to remove the mayor the motion was just put in and then in ten days will have a special meeting again we don’t think about the issue but we think about service delivery.”
Meanwhile, some ANC supporters who are against Thulare’s removal as mayor had gathered at the entrance of the municipality offices where the special council sitting was held. “We are here to support the recent leadership as the mayor of Lephalale local municipality. I’m here to support the current leadership.”
Thulare was however not present in the special council sitting which was intended to remove him. When contacted for comment, Thulare refused.
