This, after a council sitting to elect the Speaker was disrupted by alleged ANC members and supporters on Wednesday. The municipality serving the communities of Bethlehem, Clarens and Fouriesburg, amongst other towns, has been without a Speaker for over a month following the death of David Lengoabala. The DA’s Caucus Whip, Jafta Mokoena, tells OFM News this affects the operation of the Council and the municipality in its entirety as the absence of the Speaker results in the lack of accountability for the Executive Mayor and the Administration.  

He adds that the Speaker’s office is also accountable for the Wards Committees and that the absence of the Speaker means these Committees cannot take place.

“Any other matter that affects the functioning of the Council and how Councillors’ interact with the administration or how they try to hold those in Management accountable is through the office of the Speaker. So, if there is no Speaker we are in trouble,” said Mokoena.

“We are making a call to the provincial leadership to intervene, for the Municipal Manager to call a meeting within seven days, because I don’t think one disruption can render this municipality incapable of electing the Speaker,” he added.

The Eastern Free State municipality has in the past been under fire over a lack of service delivery to its residents, as well as financial mismanagement. The opposition party in the Provincial Legislature previously raised concerns over the lack of water supply in the areas of Clarens, despite being the province’s top tourist destination and an economic hub of the province.

The municipality is amongst distressed Free State municipalities that have been listed in the Auditor-General report as amongst those needing urgent intervention.

Despite its adverse audit reports, a lack of service delivery, political infights and corruption allegations, it made national headlines two years ago when its mayor Lindiwe Makhalema got suspended for calling President Cyril Ramaphosa a “sellout” on a social media platform.

OFM News