ALSO READ: Mangaung mayor officially resigned

ANC Mangaung's regional spokesperson in the Free State, Ngcamisa Nxangisa, confirmed to OFM News that the NEC has selected the Umkhonto weSizwe veteran Gregory Nthatisi to replace Siyonzana. 

Nxangisa also confirmed that Siyonzana tendered his resignation letter to the party after the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), led by its chairperson, Mxolisi Dukwana, and provincial secretary, Polediso Motsoeneng, decided to redeploy him. 

However, Siyonzana is yet to finalise the last stages of the resignation by also furnishing the speaker of the council, Stefanie Lockman-Naidoo, with the letter which will then allow the council to elect Nthatisi as the new mayor of Mangaung.

ALSO READ: Free State ANC recalls Ntombela

“The ANC in Mangaung had the privilege of being briefed by the PEC of the ANC, led by the secretary, comrade Polediso Motsoeneng, that indeed the executive mayor of Mangaung, comrade Mxolisi Siyonzana, handed in his resignation letter as both the executive mayor and councillor in the Mangaung Metro Municipal Council. We immediately accepted and thanked the councillor for a sterling contribution spanning more than 10 years in that municipality,” Nxangisa added.

The move to redeploy him comes after the ailing metro went through a series of service delivery challenges and failures for years which at some time left residents angry and ultimately engaging in protests. ANC PEC spokesperson, Jabu Mbalula, previously told OFM News that the party's PEC undertook a robust and honest reflection on the governance and local government level.

“As a consequence, there is an appreciation that misalignment exists between the ANC election manifesto and the performance of our government. The PEC affirmed the 9th provincial conference resolution that extraordinary efforts are needed to strengthen both the provincial and local governments. In this regard, the PEC resolved to redeploy the Free State Premier, Cde Sefora Ntombela and the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Cde Mxolisi Siyonzana. The PEC mandated its officials to engage the national officials to process and finalise the decision. The ANC in the province wishes to thank these comrades for their contribution to the portfolios within which they were deployed. Furthermore, the PEC appreciates the comradely spirit with which the said comrades received the ANC decision,” Mbalula added. The ANC had selected the Member of Parliament (MP) Seiso Mohai, the Free State convener of the Women’s League, and current Mayoral Member of the Committee (MMC) Lulama Titi-Odili, for interviews with the NEC.

It’s understood that for now, deputy Mapaseka Mothibi will act in the position whilst the ANC add Nthatisi to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) system as a Proportional Councillor (PR), so that later he may be elected as such. ANC caucus in the metro has been one of the most divided caucuses with deep and rooted infighting. In 2022, council failed to vote and adopt its 2022/23 budget after some ANC councillors, who are in majority, voted with opposition parties against the budget twice.

ALSO READ: Troubled metro finally adopt controversial budget

The failure to adopt and vote for the budget on two occasions because of the infighting within the ANC led to a scathing reaction from opposition parties, including the EFF.

The red berets called for the dissolution of the council, following the failure to adopt its controversial budget on two occasions. The EFF Mangaung Chairperson, Gopolang Lipale, said the council has failed to fulfil its task of serving residents in the metro whilst corruption is thriving allegedly under the watch of the council.

ALSO READ: EFF scathing as it calls for dissolution of Mangaung Council

The troubled Metro has since been dragged to the High Court by a community pressure group and a political party seeking an order to dissolve the council. Potso Motoko, the leader of the Mangaung Service Delivery Forum (MSDF), and Joe Mbahare Kekana, the president of Forum 4 Service Delivery, went to court on Monday 27 February to request the Metro Council be dissolved by a judge's order. 

In the urgent court application, Motoko and Kekane have also named 12 respondents, including the newly elected Premier of the Free State, Dukwana, President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). In the papers before the court, Motoko and Kekana say it is a well-known fact that a number of crises have befallen the metro over the years.

ALSO READ: Pressure groups ask court to dissolve ailing Mangaung council

In 2020, the National Treasury is said to have withheld grant funding of R429 million due to underspending. The Auditor-General (AG), Tsakani Maluleke, said in her report that Treasury’s action was a result of the delays by the Metro in completing grant-funded projects.

ALSO READ: Mangaung Metro forfeited government grant twice

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