On Tuesday, the municipality accused two officials from the office of MEC Tlhapi Galebekwe of being involved in a plan to disrupt services by staging a shutdown. In Galebekwe's response to the accusation made by the municipality, the MEC tells OFM News that she is not even aware of the so-called Rustenburg shutdown and does not know what is the motive behind the scathing statement. Galebekwe adds that she, in consultation with the relevant authorities and the African National Congress (ANC), will obtain a suitable solution to the matter.

“The statement seems to intend to associate me, as the MEC and the department I am leading, with the so-called 'planned chaos' in the city. I must indicate that the Rustenburg Local Municipality, through its Executive Mayor, has direct access to me. The Executive Major has private access, political access and official access. The municipality should have chosen to deal with its concerns by choosing either of these options that I have indicated or a combination of such if indeed the intention is to resolve the identified issues,” she adds.

Galebekwe says it is, however, necessary to distinguish between activities officials engage in as recipients of services, political or social activists, or government work.

"It is further necessary that I highlight the importance of us as political deployees, to protect the name and image of the organisation that has deployed us and the institutions we are leading by acting responsibly at all times,” she further adds.

The Municipality had earlier said it was shocked by the messages which had been circulating on various social media platforms, in which the two officials are allegedly accusing the mayor, Mpho Khunou, of being responsible for the disappearance of a municipal-owned BMW X5.

 OFM News