Dismayed cllrs condemn under fire MAA chairperson

Koketso Kgoboge | Friday March 15, 2019 14:09

Councillors had prepared themselves well for the Mahalapye Administrative Authority (MAA) Sub-Council chairperson. who however somersaulted Houdini-style to escape the chop.

As the special council sat at the Central District Council (CDC) chambers recently, and councillors awaited their turn to roast him, Cebane inexplicably adjourned the council before it could start deliberating on the items on the agenda.

Last month, the council had failed to complete its business when it sat in Mahalapye. Cebane had delved into his bag of tricks again, adjourning the council when a motion of no confidence was tabled against him .

The recent adjournment left the councillors fuming at lack of progress, spilling the beans in the process, and accusing Cebane of “abuse of the office.”

The motion to evict the chairperson was moved by councillor Charles Mponang of Kalamare. The motion indicted the chairperson of maladministration of office and conflict of interest.

When he opened the special council at CDC, Cebane instantly quashed the agenda saying it was inappropriate.

He said when the council was adjourned in Mahalapye there were only two items on the agenda, and those would be the only items to be discussed.

The items, he said, were the committee reports and the correspondences. The chairperson said the first item on the agenda, the motion of no confidence, was not brought to his attention beforehand, therefore, would be struck out.

This left councillors stunned, and arguing that their principals attempted to strike out the item.

Councillor for Boseja Ward, Tumelo Koolekanye moved that the motion of no confidence should stand, and the chairperson should recuse himself.

He called for the chairperson’s assistant to direct proceedings as the matter implicated the leader of the house therefore rendering him conflicted.

Councillor for Mookane, Thebe Setlalekgosi, seconded Koolekanye.

Cebane cautioned the councillors and disallowed Koolekanye’s charges before he adjourned the council.

When quizzed on the adjournment of the council, Cebane declined to field questions from Mmegi and referred this reporter to the spokesperson of the MAA.

His move to adjourn the council proved unpopular with the councillors. They accused him of abuse of office and waste of resources.

“This is an abuse of powers and the office. Imagine officers had to travel all the way from Mahalapye only for him to adjourn the council. It’s a waste of government’s resources,” Koolekanye said.

Councillor for Xhosa Ward, Modiri Ramaribana accused his principal of trying to buy time. He also cited waste of State resources. He said the leader had dragged their name in the mud, and he must face the music.

“People are accusing us of fraud in awarding of tenders, and that is his doing. He is soiling our good names. He is trying to buy time so that he recruits people to vote against the motion, but that would not happen,” Ramaribana said.

Ramaribana said Cebane was accused for firing a member of the council adjudication committee and deploying his wife without the consent of the council.

The council learnt of the deployment of the latter when the tenure of the committee expired and was brought to the sub-council house for renewal.

When the councillors questioned the appointment of the chairperson’s wife, she voluntarily pulled out from the position. The civic leader said motion of no confidence was tabled against the chairperson in that respect.