MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Nono Maloyi wishes to congratulate the new council of Ditsobotla, following an inaugural and special council meeting held on Monday, 09 January 2023.

MEC Maloyi wishes the new council well in their new responsibilities and has called on them to hit the ground running by attending to all outstanding service delivery issues in Ditsobotla.

MEC Maloyi has learnt with shock the resignation of Mayor Itumeleng Elizabeth Lethoko who tendered her letter of resignation last night after her inauguration. This was after the Speaker tabled an item of the secondment of the acting Municipal Manager, which some of the councillors were opposed to, indicating that the item was not on the agenda of the meeting.

MEC Maloyi wishes to clarify that the intervention in Ditsobotla which led to the by-elections on 14 December 2022 ended after the announcement of the results by the IEC. With regard to the position of the Municipal Manager, the MEC seconded Mr James Mashigo who is a Chief Director in the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to the municipality to act as a Municipal Manager until council had convened to take a decision on the matter.

The secondment was in line with Section 154 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa which enjoins both national and provincial government to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to perform their functions.

MEC Maloyi says he hopes that the council will convene soon to swiftly deal with the appointment of the acting Municipal Manager and the election of the Mayor.