Pretoria - Polokwane municipal manager Dikgape Makobe on Friday tendered his resignation to Limpopo capital’s new mayor, ahead of a special council meeting.
Makobe resigned barely a month after the appointment of former Capricorn District Municipality mayor and ANC Peter Mokaba region chairperson John Mpe as Polokwane’s first citizen, a year before his contract expired.
Mpe was sworn in last month at a special council meeting after the mayor for seven years, Thembi Nkadimeng, left following her appointment as Deputy Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his last Cabinet reshuffle.
Sources inside the municipality say although Makobe was required to serve a two-month notice before his departure, he had not reported for duty since September 9, citing ill health.
He has also applied for leave from October 4 to 29. Council granted him leave, meaning he will only be going back on his last day of work, and his duty would be to hand over during this period.
Some inside sources believe Makobe resigned because he entered the ANC’s factional politics while Nkadimeng was still his boss, showing his loyalty to her.
The Nkadimeng and Mpe rivalry intensified at the 2018 ANC elective regional conference, where they faced off for the chairperson position.
This is the second municipal manager to resign in Limpopo in two months.
Last week Greater Tzaneen mayor Thapelo Matlala suddenly tendered his resignation with immediate effect, citing fatigue.
Mpe won by a margin, and the two have since not seen eye to eye, with Makobe being seen as Nkadimeng’s ally. Efforts to reach Makobe were fruitless at the weekend.
Municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala confirmed that the special council meeting had received the letter of resignation and had accepted it.
Pretoria News