Mayor in the hot seat?

There are those who hail him as a saint, a fearless leader who cares for the oppressed and destitute.
Others say that he is an opportunist who does not take no for an answer, a ruthless leader who will bend the rules to suite himself.  Who is Lephalale Mayor Jack Maeko?
Maeko became Lephalale’s Mayor when he replaced ousted Mayor, Johanna Mojela in 2012. He is a staunch supporter of former Premier Cassel Mathale andreportedly a good friend of Julius Malema.
According to Chairman of the Lephalale Business Forum, Justice Ledwaba, Maeko is on his way out.
Ledwaba told the Sunday paper, Rapport, that the ANC in Limpopo has already decided to replace Maeko. Sello Lediga, spokesperson for the Provincial task team told Northern News a few weeks ago that no such a decision has been made. He could not be reached for comment this week.
Whether he stays or goes pressure is mounting as more and more allegations are surfacing suggesting that not all is well in the Mayoral camp. Allegations of misconduct in the awarding of municipal tenders also came to the fore this week with a letter reportedly written by a municipal official, accusing the Mayor of influencing the outcome of tender processes as well as influencing the interview panel responsible for appointing a Supply Chain Management Officer.
Northern News contacted municipal manager, Bob Naidoo, who said the allegations were made last year by a disgruntled employee of the municipality who was investigated and dismissed for fraudulent activities. “We encourage anyone with proof of irregularities within the municipality to come forward with concrete evidence.”
On behalf of the Lephalale Buisness Forum,Ledwaba also accuses the Mayor of soliciting donations from Medupi contractors and when they refuse, Maeko convinces the companies' employees to engage in protest action against their employers. In the article in Rapport this week, Ledwaba states that Maeko asked him for a R100 000 donation and when he refused, his own employees were allegedly prompted by the Mayor to go on an unprotected strike, damaging property and equipment.
Northern News was unable to reach the Mayor for comment this week, but in the article published in
Rapport, Maeko responded to the allegations by saying that he has nothing to gain from disrupting work at the Medupi site. He also claimed that he is not aware that the ANC is planning to replace him as Mayor.