Johannesburg - The ANC in Limpopo has charged its 23 councillors at Mogalakwena municipality for voting with opposition parties to reinstate suspended municipal manager William Kekana.
This echoed a revolt in August in Tlokwe, when the ANC faced defiance from its own councillors who were dead set against mayor Maphetle Maphetle, who they accused of corruption.
The ANC - which summarily dismissed the Tlokwe councillors - suffered public humiliation when the public representatives rejected overtures to return to the party fold.
The ruling party’s provincial task team in Limpopo also resolved on Wednesday to recall Speaker Melba Mabusela.
At the centre of the wrangling is the decision to reinstate Kekana, who has now instituted a forensic probe to investigate allegations that mayor Tlhalefi Mashamaite misused R1.5 million of public funds.
Kekana told The Star this week that he was investigating the mayor.
“The forensic investigators will probe the wasteful expenditure and corruption that have crept into the municipality as a result of actions by the mayor and his cronies,” he said.
Kekana was suspended by a group of councillors, including the mayor, in July.
On October 11, dissenting councillors held a special council meeting to reinstate Kekana.
But now the ANC wants his reinstatement reversed.
“We believe the manner in which he (Kekana) was reinstated with the assistance of the opposition is something we can’t accept,” said ANC provincial spokesman Sello Lediga.
The Star