BY Obakeng Maje
The Democratic Alliance will make a formal appeal to Premier Thandi Modise to reverse her decision to appoint Manketsi Tlhape as Cooperative Governance MEC.
A crisis of basic service delivery exists in the North West, with many towns going without water and only 1% of informal settlements having access to proper sanitation.
“MEC Tlhape cannot be fit to turn local government around given that she presided over the collapse of Tswaing Municipality. During her time there as mayor, Tswaing was put under a Section 139 administration” DA Chris Hattingh said.
Democratic Alliance said the delivery of basic services dried up the withholding of rates and taxes became common in the municipality.
A Hawks investigation was also launched into corruption and maladministration.
“Tlhape was then tagged by the ANC to become the Ngaka Modiri Molema Municipality’s Executive Mayor, but because of her unsuitability for public office, ANC councillors defied that decision for more than two years” said Hattingh.
However ANC in the province said they are very happy regarding Tlhape’s appointment and shrugged off criticism of Manketsi Tlhape’s appointment as MEC for local government and traditional affairs.
“All these changes have never been discussed at the deployment committee (level), of which all provincial secretaries of the alliance are part. Sanco is not supporting the work done by the (provincial leadership) of the ANC, and will not fold arms and keep quiet when the organisation is being misled by a small clique of people who are in a consistent mode of faction-based politics,” said Sanco provincial secretary Packet Seaketso.
The DA urges the Premier to put politics aside and appoint an MEC who has the skills to stop the suffering of North West residents by turning local government around.
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