By Libuseng Nyaka
Moeketsi Lebesa
QWA QWA – The new Executive Mayor of Maluti A Phofung Maditaba Sarah Moleleki has reshuffled her mayoral committee plucking out three members of the committee viewed as part of a rebel group dubbed“ Regime Change”.
The deposed councillors are: Ntsane Mopeli who was responsible for Spatial Development and Traditional Leaders; Qheku Wilson Lefora was responsible for Sports, Arts andCulture while Mahlomola Majake was responsible for Community services.
The three are alleged to be members of a group that is believed to have been plotting to oust Free State Premier Ace Magashule from the chairmanship of the African National
Congress (ANC) in the Free State in preparation for an assault on President Jacob Zuma’s leadership of the ruling party.
But Moleleki – who also assumed the mayorship after a palace coup in which former Executive Mayor Mofumahadi Mathokoana Mopeli was shunted aside – has dismissed the allegations saying that the party had a right to deploy and recall its members.
Political commentators and opposition leaders scoffed at reasons given for the change of the guard at MAP, saying it was a political purge.Mopeli’s resignation was attributed to ill-health. ANC Secretary William Bulwane said Mopeli would be transferred to the Legislature and be replaced by Moleleki, a former chiefwhip of Thabo Mofutsanayana District.
Congress Of The People (Cope) councillor, Ntombizonke Tlhakuli said she did not believe that Mopeli had resigned due to illness.
“This is just a political decision by ANC. Mopeli was put underpressure to resign because there were things that she wanted to bedone properly – a thing that ANC does not like. There is no change which will be brought by Sarah Moleleki except to serve the ANC’s
interests without disagreeing with them,” Tlhakuli said.
Qheku Lefora will be deployed to Naledi Municipality as Municipal Manager while Moleleki said the ANC has not yet to decide where the others would go. However, she said the changes would not affect the trio’s councillorship.
The sacked councillors either refused to comment on Thursday, November 8 or were unreachable by telephone.
A low-level war of attrition has been raging in the ANC in the run-up to the career-defining Mangaung conference at which the ruling party will renew its leadership. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Deputy President Kgalema Mothlante is vying for Zuma’s job and has galvanised grounds well support to help him unseat his boss in both government and the party.
In Free State, a loose coalition of disgruntled members of the ANC main body, its youth league and former freedom fighters has since June tenaciously fought to block Magashule’s re-election to no avail.
The group which has been linked to former MEC Nxolisi Dukwana has waged court battles and boycotted ANC functions to drum up support for its cause.
This week, Moleleki also announced new members of her mayoral committee which includes Moeketsi Lebesa of Dikwankwetla South Africa party which cameas a surprise as the opposition leader has been a vocal critic of the ruling party’s record of poor service delivery.
Moleleki said Lebesa was selected after a lot of soul-searching by the executive committee. She said he had been identified as someone who can assist the municipality in its task of serving the people.
“We are a democratic party. There is nothing wrong with the inclusion of Lebesa in our executive committee. We have identified his experience and intelligence which can add to the improvement of the service delivery,” she said.
Moleleki denied allegations that nominating Lebesa as a Member of the Mayoral committee was a way of silencing him.
Lebesa is apprehensive that the executive committee could stop himfrom making sure that ANC delivers on its mandate.“ I will be in a better position to make an input and even questionsome of the decisions and influence decision-making in the bestinterests of the people, unlike in the past when I was not involved in the discussions. This will make my influence carry more weight.”
Lebesa has been nominated together with Mohinya Azael Nhlapho, Dipuo Mboso, Tumelo Thebe and Mapoho Mohlabi Louis.
The executive mayor is yet to assign them to different portfolio committees.