Political melt-down? Lephalale

The position of MM for the Lephalale Municipality was advertised in Northern News on 20 July this year, but it seems appointing someone in that position might prove to be more difficult than expected.
In early September, the Lephalale Council put together a short-listing committee to work through potential candidates. Councilors Jack Maeko, Maluse John Marakalala, Mpho Dinale, Raisebe Moashe and Stef Snyders were tasked by the Council with administering the process to find the appropriate candidates for this strategic position. The Council, however, neglected to include the Lephalale mayor, Johanna Mojela, on this committee. When the Council realised its oversight, it added her to the committee at a meeting held on 7 September. The Council also requested that the committee fill the important positions of MM as well as technical strategic manager by November 2011.
According to reports in the media, Mojela did not attend the following meeting held on 19 September, but instead wrote a letter to Council indicating that she would set up her own shortlist of candidates.
Mojela agreed to meet with Northern News, but her only reply on the issue was: “The short-listing of the MM candidates is a political process, and therefore should not be disclosed to the media.”
When asked if she wrote a letter to Council expressing her disappointment regarding the short-listing process, Mojela declined to comment. Responding to allegations made in the media that she is not attending certain meetings, Mojela told Northern News that she is ill and often needs to go to the doctor. “If I’m available and not at the doctor, I will be present.”
These issues highlight certain disputes within the Lephalale Council and follows hot on the heels of a decision by the Council to revoke the delegated powers of the mayor and the executive committee. Portfolio committees now have to submit all reports for review by the Council at Council meetings.
According to a source within Council, there is division among the local ANC members which has seen trust issues developing among councilors.
Head of Social Services at the Lephalale Municipality, Maria Cocquyt, was hastily asked to step in as acting MM until the position is permanently filled. This follows a move by mayor Mojela to not send a written request to the Waterberg Municipality to retain the services of the previous acting MM, Bob Naidoo, until the end of the year. “I did not recieve a formal document stating that I had to write a letter to the Waterberg Municipality, so I didn't write it,” added Mojela.