The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Regional Secretary in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, Buti Shuping, tells OFM News that Maetu Kgaile was incompetent and needed to go. He says the mayor has failed to deliver basic services to the local residents and showed little understanding of her mayoral duties since assuming office.

Kgaile was recently under scrutiny by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) after her official municipal vehicle was involved in an accident when her driver hit a tree, allegedly on his way to Johannesburg.

Shuping says the municipality is facing numerous challenges and Kgaile failed to address those issues.

“There are a lot of issues here in the municipality, hence we raised a motion of no confidence. The mayor has failed to assist the community and she does as she pleases. This is not all about the EFF because all of the opposition parties, including ANC councillors in the municipality, have raised issues about the mayor,” says Shuping.

Shuping says Kgaile failed to disclose details of her official municipal business trip to the Republic of China for an investment development in that area. He says this was not only the dilemma Kgaile had over her shoulders. Shuping further adds that they received a report from Scopa that the mayor failed on several occasions to adhere to the request of a detailed report with regards to the accident involving the municipal vehicle.

Last year the mayor was also embroiled in another controversy with Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) in that area. The F4SD accused Kgaile of abandoning residents who protested over lack of service delivery in Jouberton near Klerksdorp and instead attended the Mangaung African Cultural Festival (MACUFE), allegations she has always denied.

Shuping says the whole of the area is filled to capacity with unsafe informal settlements and the mayor is not bothered to attend to the needs of the residents. OFM News previously reported that the official vehicle of the mayor was allegedly used to collect her medication in Gauteng on November 8, 2016 when it was involved in an accident.

In 2017, the Democratic Alliance (DA) released a statement, saying the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz E200, incurred damages of more than R380 000.

The EFFs’ spokesperson in the region, Lucky Khoza, earlier told OFM News that the EFF in Matlosana feel as if the matter was being swept under the carpet. He said the report by Scopa has since early 2018 not been made public or discussed.

Scopa Chairperson, Mahlakeng Mahlakeng, also told OFM News that the committee referred the matter back to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) for further investigation. Khoza, however, cast serious doubt on Mahlakeng’s comment, asking if so, why the matter has not been finalised.

He said they were fully convinced that someone was trying to cover up the matter.

OFM News