Municipal wars: Mothibi resigns but Mojela digs in

Mogalakewna mayor, Esther Mothibi, this week tendered her resignation as mayor and councillor paving the way for a new mayor – something the DA and some ANC members on the local council has been lobbying for since July last year.
But a chain of events following on the heels of Mothibi’s resignation may indicate that the power struggle in Mokopane is far from over. On Tuesday evening, council speaker Melba Mabusela’s house was petrol bombed and on Wednesday morning guards were deployed to ensure the security of a number of councillors and officials including municipal manager (MM), William Kekana, and others who during her time in office opposed Mothibi and her allies. They had all received threats and warnings and feared for their lives and the safety of their families.
Mothibi’s time in office was marred in controversy from beginning to end. It started off with the purchase of a new ML Mercedes when the mayoral vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser VX, was still practically new.
She then threw her weight behind an effort to reinstate the suspended corporate services manager, Henry Thobejane, despite the fact that he has been found guilty of several charges of misconduct, corruption and fraud at the municipality.
Mothibi blatantly refused to pay heed to instructions and guidance from the provincial ANC leadership, instead taking her lead from a small group of fellow councillors who along with her became known as ‘the Big 5’ in the hallways of the Mogalakwena municipality. They are all said to be staunch supporters of the Zuma faction within the ANC and refused to support premier Cassel Mathale in his bid to remain premier during the recent ANC Provincial conference.
Sources say Mothibi was handed a letter demanding her resignation as mayor two weeks ago, she initially refused, but this week paid heed to the party’s instruction. Her fate was sealed at a special council meeting on Wednesday where Tlhalefi Andries Mashamaite was elected as new mayor.
In a press statement following Mothibi’s resignation, the local DA said it has it on good authority that the ANC is also planning to get rid of the rest of the ‘Big 5’.
In Lephalale, the local council, municipality and provincial ANC leadership has a challenge at hand and things may get messy as dirty political laundry gets aired in the struggle for political control of the town.
“I will not go. I have not been charged, I received no written warning and I have done nothing wrong.” Johanna Mojela, or MaMojela as she is known in the community, is adamant that she is still the mayor of Lephalale.
In an exclusive interview with Northern News at her home last Friday, Mojela revealed that she is in possession of evidence that show that there are irregularities in the Lephalale municipality. “They want me out because I have started to investigate certain dealings by councillors and municipal officials.”
Mojela says she will stay on as mayor until she knows what happened to the R9-million that was stolen from the municipality. She is convinced that someone in the municipality was involved. She adds that she contacted intelligence services to assist her in an independent investigation after the public protector informed her of the theft in February. She says her investigations unearthed these  irregularies:
1. The municipality paid for councillors to stay at the Bushmen SanVillage when they met for strategic planning meetings at the Mogol Club in Onverwacht in February at a cost of R995 per person per night. Northern News spoke to strategic manager Khoroshi Motebele who explained that councillors who live in remote villages are often late for planning sessions because of transport problems. The municipality arranged for 12 councillors to stay at the Bushman San Village because it was the only accommodation available and it was necessary to have them all together to arrange transport to the Mogol Club. The village is 40km from Lephalale and accommodation cost for the two nights stay amounted to R22 000. The DA is also investigating the matter and has asked council to provide a list of councillors who stayed at the lodge.
2. Newly elected mayor Jack Maeko was booked into the Palm Park Hotel on 27 and 28 September 2011 when he convinced MM Bob Naidoo that his life was being threatened. Mojela’s concern is that the police was never notified and that taxpayers had to pay for Maeko’s stay (R1600). Northern News spoke to Naidoo who explained that he would do the same for any councillor or municipal official whose life might be in danger. “Jack was worried about his family's safety, he told me that he reported it to the police at the time.”
3. Mojela is concerned about the fact that the municipality paid R750 000 to Shirley Tloane and another R750 000 to Lawrence Tlhako, two section 57 managers who were fired for fruitless expenditure by the previous council. According to Naidoo the council met with an independent legal advisor, who advised them to settle outside of court. “This was going to be an ongoing legal battle which could have cost the municipality a lot more money in legal costs and compensation if we lost the case.”
Naidoo invited Mojela or any other councillor or member of the community to come forward with evidence of corruption in the municipality.
When asked if she thinks that she was fired because of her support for Joe Phaahla as provincial ANC chairperson at a provincial elective conference in December last year, Mojela said it was rumoured before the election that officials who did not vote for Premier Cassel Mathale would be fired. “I told my branch that I would not support Mathale in his bid to be the provincial ANC chairperson and that my vote will be for Joe Phaahla. It is possible that I was ousted because of my vote. My life has also been threatened and there was an attempt to poison me at a strategic planning meeting. I have a lot of evidence."
Mojela said she has not had it easy as mayor, at her first council meeting she was stripped of executive powers. She was left out of a panel committee responsible for short listing candidates for the position of MM and on several occasions was not informed of political management team meetings. She has for the last few months been without a vehicle.  “I have written several letters and reports to Regional, Provincial and National officials, but no-one has come to my aid. God will fight for me, I will trust in Him,” she concluded.