Commotion ahead of Tlokwe mayoral motion

2013-02-26 13:36

Tina Joemat-Pettersson (file)

Potchefstroom - Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson was among hundreds of ANC and DA supporters gathered outside the Tlokwe municipality in North West on Tuesday ahead of the tabling of a motion of no confidence in the DA mayor.

The African National Congress in the municipality intended tabling a motion of no confidence in Democratic Alliance municipal leader Annette Combrink at the council meeting.

Former Gauteng local government MEC Humphrey Mmemezi was also present.

Supporters of both parties stood outside the offices, waving flags and wearing t-shirts supporting their parties.

There was a heavy police presence, which included a police Nyala [armoured vehicle] parked at the entrance to the municipal complex.

Supporters tried to get places in the municipal chamber for the meeting, which began shortly after 10:00.

According to the programme, the motion itself was expected after noon.

The DA in Tlokwe approached the High Court in Pretoria on Monday for a decision on what DA North West leader Chris Hattingh described as irregularities in the ANC’s attempt to regain power in the municipality.

"The DA believes that the ANC is resorting to irregular means to gain back power in an attempt to cover up fraud and corruption before it is exposed," Hattingh said.

Significant improvements under Combrink

Fighting ANC factions passed a motion of no confidence in party-aligned mayor Maphetle Maphetle in November.

He was replaced by Combrink - the first DA mayor in the province - when she defeated ANC candidate Lucky Tsagae by 20 votes to 19 for the mayoral position.

Hattingh said the motion of no-confidence in Maphetle was based on a number of documented allegations of fraud and corruption.

"A forensic investigation instituted by the DA-led Tlokwe municipality into these and more allegations is at an advanced stage," he said.

"This may be the reason for the desperate ANC attempts to regain control and to start a cover-up operation, a common tactic in the North West provincial government."

The DA said on 7 February it would table a motion of no confidence in Barei Segotso, the municipal speaker, at the same meeting on Tuesday.

According to reports, President Jacob Zuma, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and chairperson Baleka Mbete made an unannounced visit to the municipality on 11 February.

Mantashe later told reporters the leaders were there to discuss numerous problems in the North West, and were not looking at Tlokwe in isolation.

DA leader Helen Zille said on Saturday that there had been significant improvements in the municipality in the three months it had been led by Combrink.

- SAPA