The ANC has put its weight behind Nomhle Gaga to continue to lead Makana Municipality despite calls from some in the party's local branches for sub-regional leader Mabhuti Matyumza to occupy the position. Gaga was up against Matyumza and Phumla Matyumza, who is an additional member in the ANC sub-region for the position of Mayor, according to regional secretary Scara Njadayi.
The ANC has put its weight behind Nomhle Gaga to continue to lead Makana Municipality despite calls from some in the party's local branches for sub-regional leader Mabhuti Matyumza to occupy the position. Gaga was up against Matyumza and Phumla Matyumza, who is an additional member in the ANC sub-region for the position of Mayor, according to regional secretary Scara Njadayi.
During the official inauguration of councillors yesterday at the City Hall, Gaga was named the new Mayor while Yandisa Vara re-assumed her position as Council Speaker.
Matyumza will serve in the mayoral committee as the chairperson of the Infrastructure portfolio committee and as the Chief Whip of the ANC in Council.
Gaga had taken over the position of Mayor for the first time in September last year from Zamuxolo Peter after a cabinet reshuffle, a position she held until the 3 August local government elections.
The ANC re-affirmed its confidence in her yesterday when they officially deployed her to serve as the City’s Mayor for a full five-year term. This was also the case with Council Speaker Vara. Vara had taken over from Rachel Madinda-Isaac at the same time and she has been re-elected to the position for a full term.
In her acceptance speech shortly after being sworn in as Mayor, Gaga said the people of Makana and the mandated structures of the ruling party had spoken.
“My standing here in front you is a testimony to that fact in action.
“It is therefore befitting that I humbly thank the ruling party for putting their trust in me. I wish to categorically state that I will, with all my might, do what is expected of me to deliver on the mandate bestowed upon me,” she said.
Straight off the bat, Gaga made it clear that delivering services to the people of Makana and ensuring accountable and professional leadership would be at the top of her agenda.
“Fellow councillors, to say it will be business unusual will be an understatement.
“Things will be done differently, with unwavering dedication, commitment, professionalism and, most importantly, accountability must be the order of the day,” she said.
Matyumza also expressed his full support for Gaga.
He said he was not in the ANC for positions, adding that it was the decision of the ANC deployment committee to make.
“It was the process of the deployment committee of the ANC. I have never joined the ANC for positions and I accept the position taken by the ANC, and as I said even if I was an ordinary member of the ANC I would accept it and be grateful for the role and responsibility given to me,” he said.
Matyumza said as members of the ANC they accept whatever decision the party takes.
“We are happy that Gaga is the Mayor who has been confirmed by the ANC, and we have re-affirmed that in the Council today, that indeed the ANC has spoken.
“The only thing we can do now is rally behind her as the movement and support the Mayor of the ANC and assist her because this is not her responsibility as a person or individual, it is a collective responsibility of the ANC councillors in the ANC caucus and as well as the municipality.
“We fully support the deployment and we are assuring that we will work towards changing the lives of the poor and the community of Makana,” he said.
On his position as Chief Whip Matyumza said he would make sure that there is stability in the institution politically and administratively so that they could move forward with a clean municipality.
Meanwhile Gaga said in the past financial year they had taken pride in their ability to fill the key vacant positions of senior managers.
“Soon after this Council we will be starting the processes to fill in the positions of the Municipal Manager and that of the Director: Corporate and Shared Services.”
Gaga said doing things differently also applied very strongly to municipal officials.
“All the projects in the IDP must be implemented strictly according to the Supply Chain Management Processes and the Supply Chain Management Policy of the municipality must be adhered to throughout the life-span of the project. There will be no projects that will be left half-done or unfinished,” she said.
In her speech, Vara said public participation is the central thrust of governance in a democratic dispensation that is led by the ANC. Vara said the empowerment of staff members with regard to the public participation function is something she would pay special attention to, adding that they would also revive the Moral Regeneration Movement structure.
“I lastly wish to thank my political party for the responsibility it has given to me and wish to state now that it is a responsibility I will take guided by the supreme law of the land,” she said.
Speaking during a press briefing after the Council meeting, Njadayi explained how the provincial deployment committee came to the decision to deploy Gaga.
He said they as the region don’t recommend names to the provincial deployment committee which stipulate that they should deploy a particular person.
“You recommend them saying these people are equal, so you choose among the three recommended names, that’s the pool, so the provincial deployment committee then has the right to say we do not agree with this particular person so in this case when we recommended the name of the Mayor they came back to us and said our view is that comrade Gaga must come in.”
Njadayi said there were factors attached to the decision, like continuity and stability in the municipality, not necessarily applicable to Gaga as an individual but also to comrades who had managed to help the institution to find its footing.
“We further said we are of the view that comrade
Matyumza must be retained in the mayoral committee in as well as must be the chief whip of the ANC so that there can be synergy," he said.
The mayoral committee which was appointed by Gaga shortly after taking her position as mayor are: Mabhuti Matyumza – Portfolio of Infrastructural Development; Phumla Matyumza – Portfolio of Public Safety Social Services; Malibongwe Khubalo – Portfolio of Tourism and Cultural Industries; Ernest Louw – Portfolio of Local Economic Development and Planning; and Nombulelo Masoma – Portfolio of Finance, Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Representatives of Makana in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality from the ANC are Luyanda Nhase, Thembakazi Seyisi, Siyabulela Sodladla and Xolani Madyo from the DA.
The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) was also elected in the meeting.
Ramie Xonxa is the chairperson and the other ANC members are Ntombekhaya Pieters, Luyanda Sakata and Thembakazi Seyisi, Darryn Holm from the DA and Nomakhwezi Mtwa from the EFF.
anele@grocotts.co.za
