North West ANC wants mayor reinstated

An ANC supporter holds a flag of the ANC while the President Jacob Zuma addresses ANC Gauteng Cadre Assembly in Pretoria. Picture: Phill Magakoe

An ANC supporter holds a flag of the ANC while the President Jacob Zuma addresses ANC Gauteng Cadre Assembly in Pretoria. Picture: Phill Magakoe

Published Nov 26, 2012

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Johannesburg - The ANC in the North West wants ousted Potchefstroom mayor Maphetle Maphetle reinstated.

“We are doing everything in our power to make this happen,” ANC provincial spokesman Kenny Morolong said on Monday.

“Our ANC provincial executive committee has committed itself to the reinstatement of comrade Maphetle as the mayor of Tlokwe local municipality.”

He said a meeting was held after DA councillor Annette Combrinck replaced Maphetle last week.

“A meeting was convened with all ANC councillors committing to reinstate him which, inter alia, has been exhibited through a petition to the speaker of the city council.”

The petition called for a special meeting and was signed by ANC councillors in the area.

Morolong said the party had asked lawyers to examine the processes related to the council resolution which led to the mayor's removal last week.

“The ANC in the province will thoroughly investigate this setback, which is tantamount to a counter-revolution. And action will, indeed, be taken against those responsible for bringing such shame and embarrassment to our movement.”

Maphetle was voted out on Wednesday, and Combrinck was immediately voted in. An ANC-driven motion of no-confidence in Maphetle was accepted, with 37 votes in favour and 13 against. Combrinck became the first DA mayor in the province by defeating ANC candidate Lucky Tsagae by 20 votes to 19. Several ANC members tabled a notice of a motion of no confidence in Combrinck shortly after she won the vote.

The national ANC said it would lodge a formal complaint with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission after it was apparently reported that ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu attended the council meeting where Maphetle was ousted.

On Sunday, DA leader Helen Zille said the ruling party's infighting had caused serious division within the movement. She said the ANC was so divided it could not even agree on a mayoral candidate.

SA Communist Party in the province said it did not consider Combrinck as Tlokwe's mayor.

“In our view... the elections... were flawed in that the DA candidate in question... was not part of council meeting nor did she formally accept nomination through acceptable means,” the SACP said in a statement. - Sapa

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