Picture: The ANC councillor, Gaolatlhwe Kgabo
By REGINALD KANYANE
The factional battle in the ANC continues to be a ‘source of instability’ at the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality. It has been almost two years since the ANC councillor, Gaolatlhwe Kgabo was barred from attending any municipal council meetings including activities.
This comes after one of the ANC councillors, Mike Mkhandawire, who serves as a councillor at the same municipality, launched an interdict against Kgabo to participate in any municipal council meetings. Mkhandawire alleged that proper procedures were not followed when Kgabo was elected as a councillor.
However, Kgabo who continues to get a monthly salary from the municipality even though he is not part of the council said this was used as a smokescreen to avoid his appointment as the executive mayor of the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality.
“I was informed by the municipal speaker, Kgalalelo Sereko that I must no longer attend council meetings. Basically, I have been barred from attending any municipal council proceedings. One of her reasons to suspend me was, there is a pending court case against my deployment as a councillor.
“The ANC National Working Committee is currently dealing with the matter in terms of finding a way to resolve it politically. You cannot have the ANC councillor sitting in the municipal council and at the same time, having the case against the ANC,” he said.
Kgabo further said he did not appoint nor submit his name to the IEC. He added that, it turned out that, the ANC Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) was the one that finalised the list that was allegedly submitted and confirmed by national.
“So, there was no one in the country whose name was submitted to the IEC without going through ANC’s internal processes. You will remember that this court case came after the ANC councillors at the municipality voted for the EFF for the executive mayoral position even though ANC has a majority.
“You’ll remember that, I was identified to be appointed as the executive mayor after the interviews. So, I was supposed to be elected through a council meeting. However, through that council meeting, the EFF councilor, Tebogo Babuile was elected as the executive mayor,” said Kgabo.
The ANCYL national spokesperson, Wesley Kgang said: “As we move towards National General Elections, the ANCYL has taken a decision to work tirelessly to ensure that all its provincial chairpersons become MECs in strategic departments in their provincial governments. This will put young people at the centre of decision making. They will get into these spaces carrying a mandate to participate in the struggle to create jobs for youth and transformation of society in favour of all young people.
“The ANCYL wishes to further register that, we have not forgotten about the mayorship in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, where a young person was resolved to take up the position yet it remains not implemented. The ANCYL will be taking up the matter to ensure that justice is done.”
Meanwhile, the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality spokesperson, Joe Motlhasedi said the municipality reserves its right not to respond on the matter, taking into consideration that, what has been raised should be directed to the councillor himself and the political party, which deployed him.
The ANC regional secretary, Walter Mabogola was not available for comment and his phone rang unanswered.
The Guardian 