Pretoria - The Azania People’s Organisation in Makhuduthamaga local municipality, Sekhukhune, in Limpopo, has recalled its PR councillor and subsequently installed another four days before the municipal elections.
Matshehle Joseph Thokoane, who has been PR councillor since 2016, was recalled by the party and replaced by Julia Matjeding. She was sworn in by a magistrate yesterday.
The recall followed a spate of infighting in the party in the municipality.
Provincial party political secretary Kholo Mashabela said that despite the elections taking place on Monday, the party had been wanting to get rid of Thokoane for the last two years. Speaking to the Pretoria News yesterday, Mashabela said: “This is something that we have been trying to do for the last two years. It’s nothing new. There has just been impediments in the way.
“Our greatest gripe is that the new councillor (Matjeding) that was sworn in today will not have a chance to show the community what she is capable of and what she can do for the community.”
When asked why Thokoane was recalled, Mashabela said he was being insubordinate.
“He just stopped reporting to the organisation about what he was carrying out in council. We had even got a report that he had been suspended in council, but nothing was happening.
Municipal spokesperson Lemson Moropjane said: “Azapo has provided the municipality with a party resolution to recall their previous councillor Mr MJ Thokwane from their party list. We received their resolution a few weeks ago. We want to emphasise that for us to implement Section 27, 117 of 2008, political parties must encourage their candidates to resign.
“Given the resolution we received, we then wrote to the said councillor informing him of his termination and subsequent withdrawal of municipal tools of the trade that are at his possession.
“The swearing in of the new councillor from Azapo, Councillor Julia Matjeding, did take place today at the Nebo magistrate’s office.”
Efforts to get hold of Thokoane were fruitless. However, his supporters were not happy. “This matter was disregarded and even thwarted by the office of the municipal manager despite attempts by the Limpopo provincial office to get intervention from the IEC. Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs MEC Basikopo Makamu also disregarded requests for intervention.
“Azapo believes the affair of October 27, 2021 (yesterday), to be a charade and will go along with it to allow the media to get a peek at one of the sources of the stink in Makhuduthamaga Municipality,” an insider said. The MEC’s spokesperson Hetekani Magwedze had not responded to the Pretoria News at the time of publishing.
Pretoria News