Mayor asked to resign

The Makhado Municipality has appointed its former Speaker, Cllr David Mutavhatsindi, as the new mayor, following Tuesday's resignation of Mayor Mavhungu Luruli.

The provincial executive council of the ANC instructed Luruli to resign from her duties as mayor earlier this week.

Although many people believe that the mayor's removal was motivated by the fact that Luruli did not support Premier Cassel Mathale during the provincial conference of the ANC in December last year, Luruli did not show any bitterness about her removal. She said that she would not go anywhere, but would remain as councillor at the municipality.

The provincial spokesperson of the ANC, Mr Makonde Mathivha, said that the Makhado Municipality was the worst-performing municipality in the province as per the report of the auditor general (AG). "The mayor as the political head of the institution failed to act in this regard, which caused the ANC to intervene," he said. Mathivha added that the ANC felt that the municipality needed a change in leadership.

Mutavhatsindi first joined the municipality as a councillor in 2000. He became a PR Councillor in 2006, before being appointed Speaker of the municipality last year.

In his acceptance speech, Mutavhatsindi saluted the ANC for trusting him with the responsibility. He added: "I appreciate that I started as a ward councillor and today the ANC wants me to be the face of this municipality. This means that the ANC has trust in me. It is not through wisdom or experience that one can succeed in this new responsibility, as the ANC has taught us that it is through collective wisdom that we can succeed."

Mutavhatsindi said that with people's differences in terms of tribe, race, gender and religious affiliations, the ANC believed that "we can be united in our diversity." He said he was committed to taking services to the people.

During Tuesday's meeting, Cllr Tebogo Mamorobela was appointed as the acting Speaker of the municipality.

DA councillor Brian du Plooy wished the newly appointed mayor good luck with his appointment. "Mutavhatsindi must make sure he gives proper services to the people," he said. Other political parties, including Cope, also congratulated the new mayor.

The deputy chairperson of SAMWU at the municipality, Mr Khwathelani Murovhi, said that his organisation welcomed the change. He said that the former mayor might have worked, but she needed assistance. "We believe in Mutavhatsindi. We know we will be able to reach the municipality's objectives and deal with service delivery challenges. We are still going to engage with him," said Murovhi.

Date:30 April 2012

By: Peter Muthambi

Peter Muthambi graduated from the University of Venda with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies. He started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror as well as national papers in 2006. He loves investigative journalism and is also a very keen photographer.

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