Map fails to elect new mayor, speaker

By Libuseng Nyaka

QWAQWA – The Maluti-A- Phofung council has failed in its bid to elect a new mayor and speaker as scheduled, due to failure to form a quorum.

Of the 70 councilors who make up the council, only 11 turned up for the sitting this week.

This compelled acting speaker municipal manager Amos Goliath to postpone the council sitting until further notice.

The positions of executive mayor and speaker became vacant after former speaker Paratlane Motloung and former executive mayor Gilbert Mokotso were ousted in a no-confidence vote last week.

Maluti-a-Phofung could be pit under administration or face dissolution and by-elections should the council fail to elect a mayor and speaker, which would in turn pave way for formation of a new coalition government.

The ANC has 28 seats in the council and needs 16 seats from other political parties in order to form a government.