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It is alleged that the Executive Mayor of Moqhaka Local Municipality Cllr Toy Mokatsane is forced to fall on his sword following a leadership shake-up by the African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State.
The ANC announced in August this year during a media briefing in Bloemfontein that it will be redeploying six of its Mayors from the poor performing municipalities. The party said Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, Nala and Letjeweleputswa are the municipalities affected.
The ANC said the reshuffle is as a result of continuous disclaimers, weak leadership and poor governance that are undermining service delivery in the respective municipalities. The Congress said, the decision was taken by the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) will implement the resolution taken by the party.
It is reported that the Executive Mayor of Moqhaka Cllr Toy Mokatsane, who is also facing a vote of no confidence in Council, refused to step down, as such, the ANC has allegedly removed or suspended his membership from the party in order to force him to step down.
The Business Weekly has since sent an inquiry to the Spokesperson of the ANC Cde Thabo Meeko, who had not yet responded by the time we published. We will however publish his response as soon as we receive it.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Free State has since welcomed the possible removal of the Mayor. Cllr Chris Dalton, the DA Councillor in Moqhaka Municipality says the possible removal stems from allegations of weak leadership, which aligns with the DA’s long-standing concerns about the ANC’s perceived incompetence in local government.
Dalton says the ANC’s cadre deployment has broken municipalities in the Free State. In Moqhaka, Mayor Mokatsane’s failures show this clearly, including:
- Governance Issues:
The municipality has faced numerous challenges, including ballooning Eskom debt that reaches over 1.7 billion rand, unfunded budgets, and financial misconduct, to name a few, as well as job vacancies and a general lack of political will to stabilise the municipality. - Motions of No Confidence:
The DA, along with other opposition parties, lodged Motions of No Confidence against Mayor Mokatsane, citing his disrespectful conduct and failure to address municipal issues effectively. - Controversial remarks include the following:
Mayor Mokatsane used derogatory language, referring to residents with a racial slur, sparking widespread criticism and calls for accountability.
“The possible removal of Mayor Mokatsane is part of a broader shake-up in the ANC’s leadership, with six mayors in the Free State facing removal due to similar concerns about governance and accountability.
The DA views this as an opportunity for change and calls for the appointment of competent individuals to critical roles, prioritising transparency and accountability,” said Cllr Dalton.
