The African National Congress (ANC) in Limpopo has finally appointed four substantive mayors at different municipalities in the province, which have been under the custody of temporary executives since the 2021 local government elections.
The governing party said it is putting its house in order, seeking to strengthen its chances locally ahead of the tightly contested 2024 national and provincial elections. The newly-appointed mayors will take office once the interim mayors hand in their resignation letters.
The decision to fill the critical positions was taken at the ordinary Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting held at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Monday.
ANC Limpopo provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe said the decision to withdraw the current mayors was inevitable, as the municipalities were only under temporary leadership while the party was resolving disputes.
"The PEC meeting received a report on the long outstanding matter of the mayorships of the Vhembe District Municipality as well as Makhado, which have been outstanding since the last local government elections of 2021,” said Madadzhe.
The provincial secretary said the meeting on Monday also received a report on the finalisation of the mayorships of Sekhukhune District Municipality, as well as Collins Chabane, following the resignation of the executive mayor of Sekhukhune, as well as “the unfortunate passing” of the mayor of Collins Chabane.
The Sekhukhune regional deputy chairperson, who is also the current mayor of the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality, Minah Bahula, has been promoted to the Sekhukhune District Municipality, while Freddah Nkondo, the Speaker of the Vhembe District Municipality, will now take over as the mayor of the municipality.
Dorcus Mboyi was also moved from being Speaker in Makhado Local Municipality to the mayorship position.
Shadrack Maluleke, who has been standing in for the brutally murdered Collins Chabane Municipality mayor, Moses "Big Moss" Maluleke, will now formally take over the role of executive mayor.
The PEC is also engaged in the water woes facing the getaway province and has urged its mayoral deployees to prioritise the provision of water and basic service delivery.
The newly-appointed mayors are expected to take over their formal roles next week.
Last year, IOL reported that Moses Maluleke, aged 56, was gunned down at his home in Xikundu village on July 21 while he was with his 18-year-old son. His son was wounded in the incident.
The municipality was named after Public Service and Administration Minister Collins Chabane, who was killed in a road accident on March 15, 2015, when a truck made a U-turn in front of his car on the N1 near Polokwane.
IOL