Pretoria - The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has hailed the decision by the Eastern Cape ANC to recall the troika of Amathole District Municipality, describing the move as in the best interests of service delivery.
The troika was made up of executive mayor Nceba Ndikinda, council speaker Nondumiso Mgidlana, and chief whip Nonceba Mfecane, who is also a former mayor of Mbhashe Local Municipality.
In a brief statement, the ANC Eastern Cape said: “The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the ANC in the Eastern Cape has resolved to recall the executive mayor, speaker and chief whip of Amathole District Municipality with immediate effect.
“The decision has been taken after due considerations and assessment by the ANC PEC on the challenges faced by the District Municipality. All affected parties have been duly informed.”
Samwu provincial secretary Yalezo Luzuko said the union welcomed the decision of the ANC PEC in the province to recall the troika.
“We are of the view that this decision is in the best interests of service delivery for residents served by the municipality and that of workers in the municipality.
“In June this year, municipal workers from across the province marched to the municipality to deliver a memorandum of demands which included the removal of the mayor, as the union was, and continues to be of the view, that the mayor has failed in his political obligations towards residents and workers by his inability to steer the municipality in the right direction, leading to collapse in governance and service delivery,” Luzuko said.
He said the union further called for a speedy resolution on the removal of the municipal manager, Thandekile Mnyimba, who “has now run to the courts challenging the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ findings” that his appointment was irregular.
“We are very confident that the courts will agree with us and the department that Mnyimba is not qualified to be an accounting officer of Amathole or any municipality for that matter.
“We are firmly of the view that the problems that workers and residents are facing can only be addressed by ensuring that the correct people are at the helm of the leadership of the municipality.
“We, therefore, believe that this is but many of the tough and decisive actions which would be taken to ensure that stability and normality is returned in municipalities across the province,” he said.
As indicated by the ANC PEC, the party would in the near future be deploying a new troika at the municipality.
“We, therefore, take this opportunity to caution the ANC from bringing in people who do not have the interest of service delivery at heart, but rather careerists who use the deployment given to them to further their own interests and that of their cronies,” Luzuko said.
Pretoria News