‘Hands off Mr MEC!’ - Interdict prevents Mogalakwena administration plans

The Mogalakwena municipal council needed him to address allegations of political
interference and unauthorised spending by the mayor and some councillors. But when the MEC for co-operative government, human settlements and traditional affairs (Coghsta), Ishmael Kgetjepe came to Mokopane on Tuesday, it was to implement his plan to place the Mogalakwena municipality under administration.
A Gauteng High court interdict obtained by civil rights activist, Madimetja Piet Palje and the Mogalakwena Residents Association, however, saw the MEC, the embattled mayor, Thlalefi Mashemaite and his followers in council scurry from the council chambers with their heads hung low well before the meeting was adjourned.
In a strong-worded memorandum presented to the municipality and the office of the Premier outside the municipality on Tuesday, Palje and the Residents Association refer to Mashemaite and his followers as a “marauding gang of councillors” and accuse them of interfering with the administration and having stopped service delivery. “... for three months they [have] looted over R2-million of council money,” the memorandum reads.
Referring to the KPMG-report which fingers Mashemaite and a number of councillors for misappropriation of council funds, the Residents Association say the Mogalakwena council asked the MEC to intervene on its behalf and “remove these criminals.”
The Residents Association feel the MEC chose instead to “act as big brother of this Gang, by interfering in the affairs of the Municipality.”
Now residents demand the resignation of Mashemaite, David Langa, Tolly Mashamaite, Sam Montana and Sonny Tlhako. They insisit that the police take the community seriously and arrest Mashemaite.
While they were marching outside the municipal buildings on Tuesday, councillors were getting seated for the special council meeting requested by the MEC.
For a short while Kgatjepe and Mashe-maite positioned themselves at the front of the council chambers between the speaker and the MM. Mashemaite’s followers tried to prevent council from following any items on the agenda other than the MEC’s address, which was scheduled as the last item.
First councillor Sam Montana argued that the municipality was under administration and that the council had no power and that a council meeting was therefore pointless. It was, however, pointed out that the municipality was not under administration yet as the MEC had only announced his intention to intervene in a statement last week.
One by one, 28 of Mashemaite’s followers then proceeded to note their disapproval of the agenda items preceding the MEC’s turn to speak. With 32 councillors approving the agenda the meeting proceeded despite the MEC, Mashemaite and his followers walking out after they were presented with copies of the court order.
Justice JW Louw ordered that the MEC, his officials and anyone acting on his behalf be interdicted and restrained from interve-ning in the [Mogalakwena Municipality’s] affairs in terms of Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution and from appointing an
administrator.
Legal representative for Palje and the Residents’ Association, Schalk Pienaar, explained that there is also a pending
application to give permanence to the interdict granted. “It is now up to the MEC to lodge opposition and mount a defence to this application,” he explained.
Justice Louw also ordered the MEC to pay the legal costs of Palje and the Residents Association.
Neither Mashemaite nor the MEC’s office could be reached for comment before going to print on Wednesday.