PHUTI MOSOMANE
MARYKE Davies, a DA councillor, has been elected as the speaker of the Mangaung Metro Council in the Free State. Her election was made possible by the support of several ANC councillors who voted against the governing party’s mandate.
During a council meeting on Wednesday, Davies received 53 out of 93 valid votes.
She defeated ANC’s candidate, Lawrence Mathae, for the position of the Speaker.
Davies, a Proportional Councillor for the DA in the Mangaung Municipality allocated to Dewetsdorp, Wepener and Van Stadensrus, received 53 votes while Mathae received 43 votes.
DA Leader in the Provincial Legislature and the Caucus Leader, Dr Roy Jankielsohn, congratulated Davies after her election, saying she will use her position to promote transparency and accountability in the municipality and work towards improving the lives of all residents of Mangaung.
“The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Free State congratulates Cllr Maryke Davies on her election as the Speaker of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. During a council meeting on 29 March 2023, she was elected by a majority vote of 53 out of 93 valid votes,” said Jankielsohn.
“The DA will ensure that Cllr Davies will use her position to promote transparency and accountability in the municipality and work towards improving the lives of all residents of Mangaung. We look forward to working with her and other council members towards achieving these goals.”
After Davies’ election, reports started circulating that several ANC Mangaung Metro councillors allegedly voted for the opposition party, giving the DA the position of Council Speaker in Mangaung.
On Tuesday, Bloemfontein acting Chief Magistrate, Lindiwe Mbassa, administered the oath of office to MK veteran Gregory Nthatisi, who was officially sworn in as a Mangaung Councillor.
ANC in the Free State has endorsed Nthatisi to take over as executive mayor of the Mangaung metro.
The Mangaung council is meeting on Thursday to elect a new executive mayor.
In the Mangaung Metro, the ANC holds 51 seats, while the DA has 26, the EFF has 12, the Freedom Front Plus has 5, and both the PA and AASD have 2 seats each. Additionally, the AIC and ACDP each hold one seat.
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