The Matjhabeng Municipality, led by Thanduxolo Khalipha, is fast heading towards total implosion as the mayor now faces the adversity of Cosatu, ANC Youth League (ANCYL), DA and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
All are calling for Matjhabeng to be placed under administration, and for his dismissal as mayor.
Added to this is the discontent of municipal workers who are backed by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and Cosatu.
In a letter dated 13 October, Cosatu bemoans the division that the mayor is creating under the workers:
“Evidently, the mayor is at the core of creating factions within the municipality and among workers. He is on record as dividing the workers between those appointed before his tenure and those who were appointed by him.
“Whenever issues concerning workers would arise, he would be found convening the cohort of workers appointed during his term of office to threaten workers who have presented grievances. We reject this with the contempt it deserves.”
In a letter dated 16 October, Samwu states that they will not tolerate the abusive behaviour of the mayor towards their members, and the horrible working hours he subjects members to when he forces them to attend nightly “War Room” meetings at the municipality.
At a meeting held on 12 October the mayor allegedly lost his temper and used vile language to insult senior managers and directors.
The call for Matjhabeng to be placed under administration is coming from all quarters.
Under the umbrella of the NCOP, both Amos Masondo (chairman) and George Michalakis (MP NCOP) have written to Mxolisi Dukwana, premier of the Free State, to plea for his urgent intervention into Matjhabeng, and that he places the municipality under administration.
This call is also coming from the likes of Samwu, the ANCYL, and Cosatu.
George Michalakis of the DA and permanent delegate to the NCOP states that all parties should agree to the severity of the financial crisis in Matjhabeng.
He notes in a letter to Dukwana the R270 million owed to service providers and the R 5 billion debt owed to the water board.
Masondo wrote in a letter to the premier that the NCOP calls for immediate intervention by taking over the finances of the municipality through a competent and qualified individual who can oversee the financial turnaround of the municipality in the interest of the residents.
