By OBAKEN GMAJE
The ANC Women’s League in North West said it is disgusted by the incident, where the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality councillor, Gaolatlhwe Kgabo was humiliated and mistreated during the municipality’s budget speech on Thursday in Vryburg.
Kgabo was prevented from participating in the municipal council special meeting and he was seen on a video being escorted out. It is alleged that the municipal speaker, Kgalalelo Sereko, instructed security officers to prohibit him from entering the Banquet Hall building, where the budget speech was held.
The acting ANCWL’s provincial secretary, Bitsa Lenkopane said: “The move has completely compromised the ANC in the council and the public, especially with no intervention provided by the organisation’s caucus chair.
“Kgabo is a deployee of the ANC in the district council and the ANC ought to aid him or any other of its deployees when subjected to such ludicrous treatment. Since the inception of this council, Kgabo has been subjected to consistent humiliation and enjoyed no protection from the organisation and or its members even those in council.”
Lenkopane said in fact, the first humiliation Kgabo experienced was from their own ANC members in the council, when they defied the ANC mandate to elect him to be an executive mayor. She said the ANCWL as an integral part of the ANC, would like to raise a serious
concern and frown at the organisation’s failure to jealously guard its honour and rebuke those who disrepute its good name.
“The League respect young people of the movement and accord them necessary space to play their role to inject lifeblood into the life of the ANC. They should be nurtured accordingly, invested in and marshalled to become future leaders of the movement.
“History has shown us that young people have the capacity to rejuvenate, set the agenda and direct the ANC’s campaigns as a leader of society. The organisation’s stalwarts rose from its young ranks,” she said.
Lenkopane further said they would never stand by the side and allow inhumane treatment of a young person, who is entrusted with service delivery programmes of the ANC in government.
The incompetent Sereko failed to respond to our media inquiry timeously but said the manager in her office will respond.
Meanwhile, the ANC Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) in North West said they never instructed anyone to prohibit Kgabo to participating in any council meeting, but they will respond accordingly to the matter.
ANC IPC spokesperson, Kenny Morolong said: “According to our knowledge and records, Kgabo is a councillor representing the ANC in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality. With respect to recent development and letters circulating on social media, the ANC will in due course appropriately respond.”
The disgruntled Kgabo penned his grievances in a form of a letter directed to Sereko and the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Lenah Miga. In the letter that was seen by the Taung DailyNews, Kgabo said: “I’m in Vryburg, Banquet Hall attending the Special Council meeting of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality as a councillor. However, I’m denied access by security officials claiming that they have received an instruction from yourself and the acting Municipal Manager not to allow me entry into the council meeting venue because I am a problem.
“I called you yesterday informing you that I have not received the invitation and the agenda for the special council meeting of today (30 June 2022). Indicating the unlawfulness of your actions and the financial implications of your actions on the municipality, but rather you chose to disregard me.”
Kgabo added that Sereko’s decision not to invite him to a council meeting and deny him access is a direct infringement of his rights. He said it was also illegal and unlawful for the Municipal Manager to instruct security officers to deny him access.
The Guardian 