17 August 2020
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Free State is seriously concerned by the deepening crisis and instability at Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality following the announced removal of the Executive Mayor on 14 August 2020 by the municipal council. The fact that an ANC Executive Mayor was voted out through a motion of no confidence sponsored by opposition and supported by a significant number of ANC councillors is indicative of a deep-seated crisis and disgruntlement amongst ANC deployees in the municipality.
The SACP in the Free State calls on the ANC, working with the alliance, to identify a credible, non-partisan comrade from outside the current crop of councillors to lead the municipality as an Executive Mayor to provide necessary leadership, stability and restoration of service delivery. The SACP in the province is convinced that this approach will assist to diffuse the raging tensions, help restore stability to the institution and create conditions for building unity of purpose amongst the comrades and the ANC structures on the ground. The drive to address the needs and interests of the communities must, first and foremost inform this process rather than any intentions to affirm a candidate from either grouping based on factional and egoistic calculations.
The SACP in the province will immediately enhance its engagements with the ANC in this regard, with the intention of ensuring that there is stable political and administrative leadership capable of repositioning the metro municipality to delivery services, improve corporate governance, address malfeasance and rollout development to the people of Mangaung.
This call by the SACP Free State arises out of the grave concern that the current intra-Party divisions within the ANC Caucus in Mangaung paralyses the stability and ability of the institution to render the much-needed services and development to the communities. It is sad that the interests of the communities have been subordinated and made secondary to subjective political considerations that have divided the ANC caucus along factional lines. It is clear that the divisions and disgruntlement amongst the ANC deployees in Mangaung are sadly intensifying. These are now accompanied by subtle mobilisation of communities and ANC structures in a manner precipitating towards formal factional groupings.
Consequently, the SACP in Free State urges the ANC to speedily and objectively address the underlying issues that compromised the unity and cohesion of ANC and its council structures in Mangaung. The divisions and disgruntlement amongst ANC councillors and battles amongst senior political and administrative leadership in municipalities is a perilous and widespread phenomenon in our province and requires proactive and decisive political intervention throughout the province.
ISSUED BY THE SACP FREE STATE
Contact:
Bhekie Stofile
SACP Free State Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 071 600 4899
Phillip Kganyago
SACP Free State Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: 071 896 0157
