By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Patriotic Alliance (PA) councillor Boitumelo Lethoko has been elected mayor of the troubled Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West.
This follows a coalition arrangement with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD).
The speaker of council is ANC’s Fikile Jakene and the chief whip is Jento Nkashe of Forum for Service Delivery.
The three were elected on Monday during the inaugural council sitting in Mahikeng.
“I would like to thank the ANC, PA, F4SD, and other parties elected into the council today. I look forward to working with you in the remaining 4 years. The lawlessness should be done with and the dignity restored. If we do not behave, others will not behave,” new mayor Lethoko said on Monday.
No party has a majority in the council and the first meeting in December was marred by disruptions by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) which was ultimately adjourned.
The EFF raised concerns that they did not receive invitations for the inaugural meeting, that the deployment of Administrator Patrick Mosiane has ended and therefore could not preside over the business of the day.
The ANC has lost control of the Ditsobotla local municipality – after being at the helm since the first municipal elections in 2000.
The party only managed to garner 39 percent of the votes following by-elections, down from the 51 percent it received after the November local government elections.
All 20 wards were being contested in the by-elections after the ANC-run council was dissolved by parliament in September this year due to massive breaches of non-compliance.
The EFF have gained more support as compared to the November polls, going from 15 percent of the votes in the municipality to 26 percent – cementing its place as the official opposition party.