Programming committee finalising details for election of new Ekurhuleni mayor
By next week, the City of Ekurhuleni will have a new executive mayor.
The programming committee will be meeting on Friday to finalize the details of a special council meeting in which a new mayor will be elected.
Council Speaker, Raymond Dlamini, has been acting as mayor following the removal of Tania Campbell through a motion of no confidence this week.
With the multiparty coalition in Ekurhuleni out, the African National Congress (ANC) is set to be back in power.
Following their successful motion of no confidence against Campbell, the ANC caucus in Ekurhuleni must make a decision on who will become the city’s next mayor.
The ANC has not publicly put forward a candidate but Eyewitness News understands that former Ekurhuleni mayor, Mzwandile Masina and ANC chief whip Jongizizwe Dlabathi are the frontrunners.
ANC regional spokesperson, Lesibe Mpya, says discussions and consultations are still ongoing between the party and the other small parties who supported their motion.
“Our obsession is not whether the ANC must come back and fill the mayoral. Our obsession is service delivery, dignity to our people, putting water into taps, giving our people affordable electricity.”
A date for the mayoral election is expected to be announced in coming days.
SERVICE DELIVERY
Meanwhile, residents in Tembisa are only interested in service delivery and not which political party holds the mayoral chain in the Ekurhuleni Municipality.
This was according to Tembisa community forum chairperson, Xolani Mnisi, who said he hoped that the removal of Campbell as mayor would improve services in the township.
Campbell was widely criticized by opposition councillors for how she handled violent service delivery protests in August this year.
Mnisi said that service delivery issues in Tembisa did not start under Campbell’s administration and were likely to continue after her removal.
“What was happening is we were not fighting the mayor in her personal capacity or her position but we were fighting the establishment of Ekurhuleni Municipality because it is the Ekurhuleni Municipality that is overbilling us and overcharging us, not the mayor herself. So we don’t have any sentimental feelings towards her.”
-EWN
In other news – Chaos at gravesite as actress Nomzamo Mbatha & her team invade Queen Nandi’s grave
When Nomzamo Mbatha and the Shaka iLembe crew visited Queen Nandi’s grave without permission, the Mhlongo family felt very disrespected. When induna Ngelemu Mdlalose tried to stop them, the confrontation became physical.
The fight only ended because Mdlalose wanted peace at Queen Nandi’s gravesite! Inkosi Mshazi Nzuza has claimed that lead actress and producer Nomzamo Mbatha, together with the Shaka iLembe crew, visited Queen Nandi’s grave without permission. Learn More
