With Makana municipality facing a service delivery crisis, the ANC has removed mayor Nomhle Gaga and the council’s chief whip, Mthuthuzeli Matyumza.
The party replaced Gaga with former ANC MPL Mzukisi Mpahlwa, who was last an adviser to Nelson Mandela Bay chief whip Bicks Ndoni.
Matyumza has been replaced by Luyanda Nase.
Both Mpahlwa and Nase are expected to be sworn in by the municipality’s council at the next meeting, which has not been scheduled.
The removal comes in the wake of Makhanda (Grahamstown) residents calling for the municipality to be dissolved and placed under administration.
Residents marched to the municipality’s offices in November and handed council speaker Yandiswa Vara a petition – signed by about 21,000 people – calling for the council to be dissolved.
The municipality has been battling a number of administrative issues recently, including financial constraints.
It was also recently discovered that there were about 60 “ghost” employees on the municipality’s payroll.
Towns in the Makana municipality faced frequent electricity and water outages, pothole problems, sewage in streets and uncollected rubbish.
ANC Sarah Baartman regional secretary Johannes Hobbs said the party had been paying close attention to local municipalities to ensure service delivery was a priority.
“Makana has been faced with challenges recently which resulted in attempts to call for dissolution of the entire council,” Hobbs said.
Following consultations and assessment, Hobbs said the ANC opted to change the political leadership.
“This will ensure that service delivery matters are attended to and that confidence to the institution is restored.
“The changes will ensure there is stability within the municipality,” he said.
Mpahlwa, who was born and raised in Makhanda, confirmed he had been approached but declined to comment on any plans until he had been officially sworn in.
“I need to familiarise myself with the challenges facing the Makana municipality when I get into office,” he said.
Nase said he was informed about the decision on Sunday.
“[My job] is to keep the peace and make sure all councillors are working together and for council not to degenerate into chaos,” Nase said.
Meanwhile, Matyumza said ANC members were deployed and not employed.
“Anytime the ANC feels they need to take out a particular person from a position, one can’t be stubborn about it and refuse to step aside,” he said.
He said he believed he had done a good job as there was no instability within the Makana municipality council.
Gaga did not respond to telephone calls or texts.
The DA in Makana municipality welcomed what it termed the “long overdue” announcement to remove Gaga.
“It is worth noting that the DA has raised the alarm about the incapacity of the former executive mayor and that culminated in us moving a motion of no confidence against her,” the party said.
“Under strict ANC REC monitoring, councillors were instructed to toe the party line in total disregard of the needs of the voters. What is surprising to us is a failed ANC policy of recycling failed cadres.
“We would have imagined that the ANC ... will be bold enough to remove the entire mayoral committee and the Speaker.
“The amount of rot and corruption that has found expression in Makana requires a complete overhaul of its leadership,” the statement said.
“We are prepared to close a rather [sorry] chapter in the history of our municipality, in which it has gone bankrupt, service delivery ground to a halt and the voters were completely ignored.
“We are hopeful but not so optimistic that the new chapter will bring about much-needed changes.”