The Mangaung Metro Municipality in the Free State has sought to assure residents that the new City Manager and newly-elected Executive Mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana will restore people’s trust and ensure effective service delivery.
The Mangaung Service Delivery Forum marched to the municipal offices to demand to be considered for job opportunities in the metro.
Forum members also want an audit to be conducted to scrutinize all the contractors who are currently doing projects for the City.
Acting City Manager Sello More says they will make changes.
“I think they have raised valid issues in terms of service delivery. As the city we are putting in place various plans, we are not a non-caring city. We are a caring city, I think the same management and politicians as well are conscious of issues raised by the citizens, so we will respond in action and of course to the memorandum as they raised it but the most important thing is to respond in action.”
Siyonzana has previously served as Mangaung Deputy Executive Mayor. The Metro has been without a permanent Executive Mayor since August last year.
Factionalism and political infighting within the ANC have prevented the metro from having a Mayor for a year. Siyonzana who is the current Council Speaker came out as favourite after being interviewed by the ANC’s National Executive Committee.
“The three names that were recommended are comrade Mxolisi Siyonzana, comrade Mapaseka Nkoane and comrade Millicent Motingoe. All candidates demonstrated capacity at the interview on matters related to ANC policy, broad local government issues, challenges facing Mangaung Metro Municipality, and possible solutions. They all performed well and the national officials of the ANC then decided comrade Mxolisi Siyonzana would be the ANC candidate for the mayoral position in Mangaung,” says Free State ANC IPC Coordinator Paseka Nompondo.
Residents say they want an Executive Mayor who will provide services and ensure that the City is clean. They have also complained about a high rate of unemployment.
“My feeling about this thing of service delivery is that we are choosing leaders that are not leaders like, they are just there to get something. Actually, they are not there to help people; it’s for their families. That’s all I can say,” says a resident.
