GCC meeting adjourned as officers defy mayor
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday September 22, 2015 14:58
He said that he only received the speech late on Sunday morning.
Thutlwe told the council that he could not read the speech whose content he was not aware of.
“I am sorry councillors, those who were supposed to have given me the speech well in time did not do so,” he said. “I will not read something that I do not own. I will have to first consult with the relevant committees to give me feed back on the projects.”
He said the speech was even e-mailed to him at the time when he was outside Gaborone and did not have time to consult the relevant authorities.
Thutlwe said he had long warned the responsible office to submit the speech on time but in vain.
He added: “I am not going to be made to report things that are not happening or not done. Every time councillors grill me for things that I got misinformed of. My office is not going to be blamed for mistakes that are not mine. I can only own my mistakes not someone’s mistakes.”
The mayor called on committee chairpersons to meet him together with the town clerk for proper updating on projects. The councillor for Marulamantsi/Phase IV ward, Sergeant Kgosietsile said it was good that the mayor turned down the speech. “At least you have listened to us,” he said. “The officers should understand that we are here to represent people not to do what they want. You should be given a speech a week in advance so that you are able to tour those projects which are said to be complete and incomplete.”
Kgosietsile said people would in future blame councillors if the mayor allowed himself to read a speech that he was not accustomed to.
Nominated councillor Kagiso Ntime said the mayor should be given the speech to study it a week before he presented it to the full council meeting.
“We do not want a situation where we are told that projects are complete only to find that there is no truth in it,” Ntime said. “I suggest that we adjourn and the mayor gives us specific time when the full council meeting will be on.”
Councillor Mmapula Amos of Phakalane said they had been suspicious that certain things the mayor kept on saying were not his words.
Amos said: “Now it is very clear that someone has been writing your speech. We had long advised that your office should be responsible for your speech. I think today certain things did not go accordingly. But we thank God that you stood your ground and remembered that you should listen to councillors.” She advised the mayor to always be careful of some things that are usually added to his speech because certain information turns out to be incorrect.
The City Clerk Mpho Mathe declined to answer our enquiries saying she was too busy.