Manketsi Thlapo is the Mayor of Tswaing local manucipality in the North west province. Here she was interviewed by The Star in her Office at Delareyville. 240609 Picture: Boxer Ngwenya Manketsi Thlapo is the Mayor of Tswaing local manucipality in the North west province. Here she was interviewed by The Star in her Office at Delareyville. 240609 Picture: Boxer Ngwenya
North West - The ANC in North West has shrugged off criticism of Manketsi Tlhape’s appointment as MEC for local government and traditional affairs.
The ruling party’s endorsement of Tlhape came amid widespread criticism of her performance as mayor of the Tswaing local municipality, where she had apparently failed to display effective leadership.
According to the ANC, Tlhape is a competent and devoted ANC member and leader who was suitable to oversee all municipalities across the province.
But records show that under Tlhape’s watch at Tswaing, the council was placed under administration amid a deterioration of service delivery and the provision of basic services.
As a result, Cosatu and the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in North West were at variance with their alliance partner and expressed unhappiness at her redeployment.
The two organisations said Premier Thandi Modise’s reshuffling was deepening factionalism in the troubled province, in that only people from one faction were considered for deployment.
Tlhape was appointed to her new position last week together with former ANC MP Collen Maine, who became MEC for social development, and former ANC MPL Wendy Matsemela, the new education MEC.
The three are understood to have strong links to an ANC faction led by provincial chairman and provincial legislature Speaker Supra Mahumapelo.
But it was Tlhape’s appointment that was at the centre of the controversial cabinet reshuffling.
“All these changes have never been discussed at the deployment committee (level), of which all provincial secretaries of the alliance are part. Sanco is not supporting the work done by the (provincial leadership) of the ANC, and will not fold arms and keep quiet when the organisation is being misled by a small clique of people who are in a consistent mode of faction-based politics,” said Sanco provincial secretary Packet Seaketso.
The sentiment was shared by Cosatu, which also expressed disappointment at the reshuffling, saying it was “done in a factional way, not to serve the interests of the poor people, but to serve the political agenda of certain individuals who want to continue with their corrupt activities using our movement”.
Cosatu provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said: “The continuation of the ANC undermining the alliance and the poor people in the province… and deploying people on the basis of which faction they belong to is destroying our government.
“We want to be on record that the person (Tlhape) deployed in local government has no capacity. She has failed the municipality and now she is being given the powers to continue failing our local government.”
Tlhape, a trained nurse, was in the news as the mayor of Tswaing, when residents withheld their rates and channelled the money to a ratepayers’ association that paid for and managed waste removal and water purification amid the poor provision of services.
DA leader in Tswaing Carien Visser said “things went from bad to worse” during Tlhape’s tenure as a mayor.
“I was part of a turnaround strategy forum after Tswaing was put under administration and I can safely say (Tlhape) never attended meetings and provided no leadership contribution. She left Tswaing in a horrible state of neglect,” Visser said.
ANC provincial spokesman Kenny Morolong dismissed all criticism, saying it was “baseless”, adding that Tlhape’s ”loyalty to her work and service to the people remains unquestionable”.
poloko.tau@inl.co.za
The Star
