Pretoria - The EFF in Tshwane has expressed displeasure at the “male-dominated” newly-assembled mayoral committee team under mayor Stevens Mokgalapa.
On Thursday, the mayor announced members of his executive committee made up only of two females - Roads and Transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge and Finance Services political head Mare-Lise Fourie.
EFF regional leader, Moaferika Mabogwana said: “We are not happy with the mayoral committee, because it is male-dominated. It reflects that the males still dominate in the DA.”
He further criticised Mokgalapa for starting to show some “dislikeable tendencies” exhibited by former mayor Solly Msimanga.
“We are seeing an element of Solly Msimanga in the mayor. We are going to give him a chance and if he continues to do what Solly Msimanga did - we are going to remove him. We are giving him at least three months,” he said.
He said his party was never engaged by anyone prior to the announcement of the mayoral committee.
Asked about what the party's remarks meant for their relationship with Mokgalapa, he said: “We have never had a relationship with the new mayor. We have never had a relationship at all.”
This week, Mokgalapa reiterated that he has extended an olive branch to opposition parties, to put aside political party differences and work together for the betterment of residents.
The ANC yesterday said it would not comment on the newly-formed committee at this stage, saying it intended to host a media briefing on Monday to articulate its stance.
However, in a media statement on Monday, they said: “It is rumoured that he intends to retain the services of Mandla Nkomo and Sheila Senkubuge, who have been embroiled at the centre of the GladAfrica scandal through multimillion-rand irregular payments to GladAfrica from the human settlements and roads and transport departments, respectively.”
MMCs who served under Msimanga - Darryl Moss, Ntsiki Mkhonto, Mike Mkhari and Randall Williams - got the chop.
The others - Fourie, Shared and Corporate Services MMC Cilliers Brink, Senkubuge and Human Settlements MMC Mandla Nkomo - retained their positions.
Anniruth Derrick Kissoonduth, of coalition partner ACDP, has been moved from Community Safety to Health Services. Freedom Front Plus member Sakkie du Plooy, who was the MMC for Health under Msimanga, now heads the Community and Social Development portfolio.
Rookie MMCs, Richard Moheta was appointed to lead Agriculture and Environment Management, while Karen Meyer has taken over from Kissoonduth as Community Safety MMC.
Isak Pietersen is the new Economic Development and Spatial Planning and DA regional chairperson Abel Tau the MMC for Utility Services.