The African National Congress has taken all six wards and emerged as the dominant party on the proportional representation ballot in this week’s by-elections for the troubled Mamusa Town Council, which covers the semi-rural town of Schweizer-Reinecke in the North West province. Â
The Pan Africanist Congress objected to votes cast by pensioners, who had asked electoral officials to make their crosses for Nelson Mandela, being allocated to the ANC. But the local Independent Electoral Commission says this was agreed to by all parties at a workshop prior to the election.
The Mamusa Town Council has a bank balance of R115 000, debtors amount to R27-million and creditors R3,6-million. Payment levels for municipal services stand at 57%.
The events leading to the by- election were dramatic, as in-fighting among ANC councillors virtually paralysed the local authority.
Two factions emerged, each claiming to run the council. Both groups appointed municipal managers. One manager appointed 26 new staff members only to have them fired by his rival.Â
The council could not pass budgets and service delivery was stalled.
The North West government stepped in and took over the administration after an investigation into the municipality by the National Council of Provinces select committee on local government. Â
“Personal interest and corruption was a root cause of the municipality’s problems … Irregular decisions were taken by council on the awarding of tenders. Some contractors were appointed without a council resolution,” the committee reported after visiting the municipality last month.
“Officials were coerced into appointing contractors for jobs,” the committee added.
Schweizer-Reinecke is in what was the far western Transvaal, considered the right-wing heartland.
But it is also the birthplace of struggle heavyweights Ahmed Kathrada and the Pahad brothers, Aziz and Essop.