By ROD AMNER
The ANC’s Nomhle Gaga will be installed as Makana’s Executive Mayor after the new Council is inaugurated on Tuesday 23 November, three years after she was removed from her mayoral seat.
The ANC’s Sarah Baartman Region removed Gaga from her mayoral seat in November 2018, replacing her with current Executive Mayor Mzukisi Mpahlwa.
The new Speaker is Mabhuti Matyumza, who was replaced as Chief Whip by Ward 5 councillor Luyanda Nase in 2018.
Former Speaker Yandiswa Vara has been appointed speaker for the Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
ANC Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee convened on Friday, 19 November, to receive a detailed report on the interviews for Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Speakers candidates. The report was affirmed by the Special National Executive Committee on Sunday, 21 November 2021.
The list of Executive Mayors and Mayors for the Sarah Baartman District Municipality and Local Municipalities:
1. Sarah Baartman District Municipality – Mzimkhulu Njadayi
2. Blue Crane Local Municipality – Bonisile Manxoweni
3. Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality – Deon de Vos
4. Koukamma Local Municipality – Fuzile Yakhe
5. Makana Local Municipality – Nomhle Gaga
6. Sundays River Local Municipality – Simphiwe Rune
7. Ndlambe Local Municipality – To be confirmed
Sarah Baartman District Municipality and Local Municipalities Speakers:
1. Sarah Baartman District Municipality – Yandiswa Vara
2. Blue Crane Local Municipality – Neliswa Yantolo – Nkonyeni
3. Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality – Eunice Kekana
4. Koukamma Local Municipality – Ronwell Fillis
5. Makana Local Municipality – Mabhuti Matyumza
6. Ndlambe Local Municipality – Andile Marasi
7. Sunday’s River Local Municipality – Siseko Nodonti
ANC Provincial Secretary Luluma Ngcukayitobi said there were 24 women and 18 men in the Mayors and Deputy Mayors positions, and 21 women and 16 men in the Speakers positions.
“All Candidates were extensively scrutinized by the Interviewing Panels to ensure they met the requirements. Their collective governance skills, political experience, leadership capability, management and technical skills to execute the people’s mandate and the ANC’s commitment to gender equality will help us a great deal in driving the programme for good governance and delivering quality services to our communities,” Ngcukayitobi said in a statement.
Outgoing Makana Mayor Mzukisi Mpahlwa was deployed to replace Gaga by the ANC’s Regional Executive Committee (REC) on Monday, 17 December 2018.
Gaga then resigned as a councillor.
Mpahlwa, a political scientist and government consultant, was also the first mayor of the post-1994 Grahamstown-Rhini Transitional Local Council.
In 2018, he was deployed at a time of deep crisis at the municipality, with ballooning debt, collapsing infrastructure and service delivery and growing calls for the dissolution of the Council as its credibility crumbled in the eyes of many residents.
