SETSOTO MAYOR OUSTED

By Bongani Tshabalala

FICKSBURG-Setsoto Local Municipality Executive Mayor Komane Koalane has been booted out of office in a vote of no confidence.

He was voted out on Wednesday morning through a secret ballot following a motion brought by the United Front of Civics, a minority party with three representatives in the 33-seat council.

The motion was reportedly supported by other opposition parties but it is not clear if some members of the majority ANC, which boasts 21 seats, could have voted with them.

The DA has five seats in the council while the EFF has three and the Freedom Front Plus has a single seat.

Koalane assumed office in December 2019 following the resignation of Nthateng Maoke after her citizenship status was questioned.

Maoke is a Lesotho national and it was argued that she had been wrongfully elected.

Residents of the municipality have for several years complained over poor service delivery, particularly the unavailability of water, poor sanitation and bad roads, among others. 

Community activist Andries Tatane was shot and killed by police using rubber bullets in April 2011 when residents protested over water shortages.