The Amathole District Municipality’s acting administration boss, Lucky Mosala, has abandoned his office and is working from home, fearing for his life. This is amid alleged death threats and after his vehicle was damaged while parked outside ADM’s East London headquarters on Wednesday, where an alleged “hostage” drama involving municipal employees unfolded.
While premier Oscar Mabuyane believes his new team of MECs “ticks the right boxes in terms of the requisite leadership skills”, opposition parties are unimpressed.
The cat is out of the bag. Word in political corridors is that the Amathole district municipality’s special council meeting on Thursday will unveil former Nkonkobe municipality mayor Anele Ntsangani as ADM’s new executive mayor. There was speculation recently that ANC MPL Nozibele Nyalambisa might take over the reins at the troubled municipality, but Ntsangani has now emerged as the front-runner to replace Nceba Ndikinda.
Buffalo City Metro mayor Xola Pakati wants scrap metal businesses to be banned as a way of curbing the rampant cable theft plaguing the city and the country at large. He said he would elevate the idea of the closure of such businesses to the national government for consideration as the cable theft scourge also affected other municipalities across the country.
Despite the challenging economic climate of the past year, Buffalo City Metro mayor Xola Pakati says the East London Industrial Development Zone had attracted six new investors who put over R950m into the city.