In a show of defiance, a group of ANC councillors in the Moses Kotane local municipality in North West boycotted a council meeting, insisting on a personal meeting with the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula.
The boycott was prompted by the councillors’ refusal to reverse a council resolution to appoint a new chief financial officer (CFO) who is currently facing fraud and corruption charges in court.
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The councillors, including Kopano Khunou, Mookamedi Thale, and Rose Lukhele, refused to enter the chamber, while others who had initially signed the register decided not to return after a break. One councillor, Mpho Raboroko, opted to attend a South African Local Government workshop in Mahikeng instead.
Sources within the ANC revealed that the boycott was a form of protest against the appointment of the new CFO, Mzwandile Mkhize, who is facing criminal charges related to the VBS Mutual Bank saga.
Despite instructions from Luthuli House, the ANC’s headquarters, that individuals charged with corruption should not be appointed into state organs or elected into public office, the ANC-dominated council endorsed Mkhize’s appointment in December.
Fikile Mbalula, the ANC’s secretary-general, ordered the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) to reverse the appointment. However, the councillors claimed that the PEC, which had initially encouraged the improper appointment, was now attempting to backtrack under pressure from the ANC head office.
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In light of these developments, the boycotting councillors are demanding that Mbalula address the caucus personally and provide guidance on how to proceed. They are no longer willing to engage with the PEC or the regional executive committee on this matter.
The standoff between the ANC councillors and the party leadership highlights the internal divisions and power struggles within the Moses Kotane local municipality. It remains to be seen how the ANC will resolve this issue and restore unity within its ranks in the municipality.
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