07/05/2026
MEDIA STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
(The Speaker)
07 May 2026
MAMUSA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER COUNCILLORS’ REPEATED FAILURE TO ATTEND COUNCIL MEETINGS AND PROCESS CRITICAL SERVICE DELIVERY MATTERS
The Speaker, Cllr TG Khwenenyane, wishes to inform members of the public that an urgent council meeting was convened today, Thursday, 07 May 2026. The primary purpose of the meeting was to process and adopt urgent service delivery matters, particularly the Delivery Agency Agreement with Eskom. This agreement is required to prevent the disruption of electricity supply to residents of Schweizer-Reneke, Extension 7, in Wards 01 and 03, which rely exclusively on Eskom for bulk electricity.
Eskom had required the municipality to provide a council resolution approving the Delivery Agency Agreement by 13 April 2026, failing which power supply disruptions would commence tomorrow, Friday, 08 May 2026.
Despite the matter being duly placed on the agenda, the municipal council was once again unable to form a quorum of nine councillors, as the majority of councillors continued to absent themselves from the meeting. The meeting was attended only by the following councillors:
• Cllr TG Khwenenyane (Speaker)
• Cllr Seitebalaneng Chelechele (Mayor)
• Cllr Esme Venter
• Cllr Sarel Strydom
• Cllr Thapelo Sedisho
• Cllr Lesego Motlapele
• Cllr Nomathemba Mvala
• Cllr Grace Masilo
As a result, no resolution could be taken on this critical matter.
This failure forms part of a worrying pattern. Other equally important items that have not been processed, despite several attempts to convene council meetings, include the draft budget, the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), MPAC investigation reports, and the rehabilitation and conversion of Charon Hall into a clinic.
The imminent disruption of the electricity supply will have severe consequences. Residents in the affected wards will face unbearable hardship, businesses will suffer further economic difficulties, and the water treatment plant and wastewater treatment facility will be forced to shut down, disrupting bulk water supply and sewer reticulation. Hospitals, clinics, and other life-sustaining services will also be adversely affected.
The Speaker, Cllr TG Khwenenyane, emphasised that the primary responsibility of a councillor is to attend council meetings and take decisions in the best interests of the communities they represent. “Councillors must not place the lives of the people they lead in perilous and dangerous situations through their continued absence and due to their personal issues and differences,” the Speaker stated.
In response to this crisis, the Speaker, the Mayor, and the Municipal Manager will explore all possible solutions. These include requesting the MEC for Local Government to intervene and engaging directly with Eskom to avert the imminent power disruptions while ensuring the agreement is processed.
The Speaker will personally engage with political parties of the absent councillors which are AICM, ANC and EFF to secure a quorum and to this end has reconvened a council meeting for 17:00 today.
The Mamusa Local Municipality deeply regrets this situation and appeals to all councillors to prioritise their constitutional duties and place the interests of the public above all else. The well-being of our residents remains our utmost priority.
For inquiries, kindly contact Tsholofelo Legobate@ 060 2536139 (Office of The Speaker)
Issued by The Speaker, Mamusa Local Municipality,Cllr. Tshepo Khwenenyane.
