By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Friday announced its mayoral committee members for Mogale City Local Municipality, in the West Rand, which comprises councillors from the opposition benches.
But there is still no word from the party on the appointment of members of mayoral committees (MMCs) and the chairpersons of council oversight committees for the DA-run metropolitans of Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
It’s been almost three weeks since the party’s mayors for the metros – Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse, Tshwane mayor Randall Williams and Ekurhuleni Mayor Tania Campbell – were elected in council through the support of opposition parties, and the ANC is now piling pressure on the DA to appoint the MMCs.
It’s understood that the delay in the appointment of MMCs is due to a deadlock between the DA and ActionSA on the modalities of the process and the allocation of key portfolios.
In Mogale City, which was one of the hung municipalities after last month’s municipal elections, the DA’s mayor Tyrone Gray announced a mixed bag of MMCs.
These included councillors from the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM).
The MMCs announced by Gray were:
- Finance: Jacobus Holtzhausen (DA)
- Corporate support services : Aletta Van Loggerenberg (DA)
- Utilities management services: Kagiso Lekagane (DA)
- Local economic development: Zillah Wehinger-Maguire (DA)
- Public works, roads and transport: Louis Whitey Moleba (DA)
- Integrated environmental management: Edwina Mahne (DA)
- Social development: Lesego Lucia Lekoto (DA)
- Public safety: Lydia Sokwang Lebesa (ACDP)
- Sports, heritage, arts, recreation and culture: Bongani Nkosi (IFP)
- Human settlements and rural development: Danny Molefi Thupane (ATM)
The DA’s Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga welcomed the mayoral committee appointed in Mogale City, saying the party was delighted with the appointments made.
Msimanga said the party trusted that the MMCs were capable and would work hard to address the serious service delivery challenges, financial mismanagement and lack of economic growth and productivity that has plagued the municipality.