The ANC in Limpopo, led by provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe, will oppose the high court application brought by its suspended Lephalale mayor Alpheus Thulare.
Thulare approached the high court and made his intentions clear that he refuses to be recalled from his mayoral position. This after the ANC resolved during its provincial executive committee (PEC) over a week ago to replace Thulare with Aaron Mokgehle.
At the same PEC meeting, ANC Vhembe regional spokesperson Gumani Mukhwevho was endorsed to become the mayor of Makhado while Mihlotli Mahlope received the support to take over from Nenguda Dowelani as the mayor of Vhembe district municipality.
During the party’s special provincial working committee (PWC) this week, Madadzhe said the committee considered a report from party officials relating to the conduct of ANC representatives in Lephalale municipality.
After intense deliberations, the committee resolved to oppose Thulare’s court application against the governing party. Madadzhe told Sunday World that the PWC further resolved to immediately and temporarily suspend Thulare pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing.
ANC provincial spokesperson Jimmy Machaka said the decision to suspend Thulare was taken in accordance with rule 25.60 of the ANC constitution.
Meanwhile, Mogalakwena municipality continues to be a thorn in Limpopo ANC leadership after the high court in Polokwane ruled that Morris Maluleka’s appointment to council, led by the ANC as a majority party, must be set aside. The court also ruled that the position must be re-advertised within 14 days.
Separately, former ANC provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane has taken a swipe at ANC members of the provincial and regional executive committees (REC) following political killings that rocked the Mogalakwena municipality in the Waterberg region.
A report seen by Sunday World, which was presented by the late ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte to the PEC and REC in August 2019, shows that Mogalakwena municipality had over the years experienced suspected political killings of ANC politicians who stood up against fraud and corruption.
The killings of councillors Valtyn Kekana and sub-regional secretary Ralph Kanyane on July 22 2019 brought to four the number of ANC members who died through the barrel of the gun in the region.
Others include former chief whip Leka Lekalakala and Madimetja Pale, the chairperson of the Mogalakwena Residents Association, who were gunned down in 2005 and 2014, respectively. No one has been brought to book for their murders.
Kekana chaired the municipal public accounts committee whose meetings could not convene because municipal officials refused to cooperate when asked to produce documentation.
At the time of his death, Kekana was preparing to table a report to the council regarding irregular expenditure or maladministration in the Mogalakwena municipality.
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