Political infighting in the Makhado Municipality has once again caused disruptions, with last Friday's council meeting delayed for nearly 90 minutes while ANC councillors debated whether to suspend municipal manager Kent Nemaname.
The power struggle among ANC councillors has been ongoing for years, with members divided into two factions—one backing Mayor Dorcus Mboyi and the other supporting Speaker Gumani Mukwevho Mitileni. Chief Whip Sampson Baloyi appears to align with the Speaker's camp.
The Mitileni group is pushing for Nemaname's suspension, citing allegations of mismanagement, including his failure to fill senior vacancies such as the Director of Technical Services post, which has been occupied by acting director Ms LA Thulare for nine months. They also accuse him of poor leadership and a lack of cooperation with ANC councillors.
One councillor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that Nemaname was using his office to distribute patronage, promising jobs and tenders to divide party structures. "We asked the municipal manager to prioritise internal candidates for vacancies, but he has not cooperated," the councillor said.
However, the Mboyi faction argues that due process must be followed before any action is taken and that evidence of wrongdoing must be presented. They point out that the Auditor-General's latest report gave the municipality an unqualified opinion, indicating no major financial mismanagement.
Opposition parties have condemned the political squabbling, calling it a distraction from service delivery.
International Revelation Congress (IRC) councillor Dan Singo said residents were suffering due to political games. "Municipal officials are being intimidated by politicians and forced into wrongdoing out of fear," he said. He added that the IRC would not support suspending the municipal manager without concrete evidence presented to council.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial leader Lawrence Mapoulo called the dispute a "selfish power struggle" that was hindering service delivery. "If ANC councillors have concerns about the MM, they should raise them properly in a council meeting," he said.
Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial chairperson Jacques Smalle echoed these sentiments, saying that any issues should be referred to the relevant portfolio committee before reaching council.
Municipal spokesperson Mpho Rathando denied that any formal discussion on Nemaname's suspension had taken place. "We only heard about this through the media," he said.