»Opposition parties breathe a sigh of relief as Siyonzana is removed from office«
Their prayers have been answered following a lengthy campaign by the opposition to remove the mayor of Mangaung. Mxolisi Siyonzana was expelled from his own party, the ANC.
For years, the EFF and other opposition parties requested that he be punished, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
This week, though, Siyonzana’s own ANC provincial interim committee did the demolition work and showed him the door.
When requested to comment on his dismissal, Siyonzana stated that he would not at this time.
“At this time, I am unable to comment until I have made a presentation to the ANC, so I will refrain from saying anything.”
Since being elected mayor of the struggling municipality, Siyonzana has been courting controversy. Several political groups, including some of his allies, demanded his death.
In a memorial speech given in honor of the late ANCYL leader Peter Mokaba, Fikile Mbalula stated that party deployees not functioning in government should be sacked.
Siyonzana became the initial victim shortly after Mbalula’s words.
Mbalula, armed to the teeth at the memorial speech, demanded, “Just as in Mangaung, who is the mayor here? Kulelwe nje (people are sleeping). Why does Mangaung still have a mayor who has no idea what he’s doing?”
The EFF in Mangaung did not express astonishment at Siyonzana’s dismissal.
Gopolang Lipale, the leader of the EFF’s Mangaung caucus, stated, “The EFF is not shocked that the ANC has finally chosen to listen and heed our plea that Mxolisi Siyonzana could never be Mangaung’s mayor for any positive reason.
“A metro that is well-managed and functional in Mangaung is an impossible goal for someone as boorish as this man.
“In all honesty, he was never intended to be much more than a supervisor of city general laborers, even at his finest.
“However, because the ANC rewards its lackeys and gross incompetence, he was elevated to the city’s highest levels.”
Sello Dithebe, spokeswoman for Mxolisi Dukwana, MEC for cooperative governance and leader of the IPC, stated that CoGTA does not intervene in the internal problems of political parties.
»Opposition parties breathe a sigh of relief as Siyonzana is removed from office«