Mayoral choice is party’s prerogative

THE appointment of a political leader is not the people’s choice.

Citizens vote a political party into power and the respective parties then decide who the suitable candidate will be to govern a municipality or ward.

The country’s electoral system is based on party-list proportional representation, which means that parties are represented in proportion to their electoral support.

For municipal councils there is a mixed-member system in which wards elect individual councillors alongside those named from party lists.

So the decision by the ruling party last week to call for the removal of uMhlathuze City Mayor Elphas Mbatha is unquestionably within the ANC’s right. It is their prerogative as parties deploy cadres to posts.

This is by no means a new phenomenon, as we have seen it several times in the past, most notably when former President Thabo Mbeki was recalled before the end of his term.

At uMhlathuze, former mayor Zakhele Mnqayi was also asked to step down by the ANC ahead of the local government elections, making way for a new leader in the person of Mbatha.

It is not known why the Regional Executive Committee recommended the removal of the City mayor, but all eyes are now on the Provincial Executive Committee and whether they will adopt the resolution of the regional body.

What is questionable, however, is the timing of the move considering that the local government election is scheduled for next year. Would the ANC make rash decisions which could border on instability ahead of the municipal elections?

Why is it essential to move the preferred candidate for replacement into power immediately when it can be done in a few months’ time?

Whatever the outcome or reasoning, political shuffling is well underway and the pawns are being moved strategically in the run-up to the elections.

All that matters to the people though is whether these political moves will speed up service delivery and improve the lives of ordinary citizens.