ANC slams DA lies on merger proposal

The ruling party has defended premier Ace Magashule against the opposition party’s allegation

The ANC in the Free State has lashed out at allegations by the DA that premier Ace Magashule was instrumental in the proposal to merge the Metsimaholo and Ngwathe local municipalities.

The DA in the province said in a statement that documents in its possession show Magashule lied about having nothing to do with the proposed merger.

In a strongly worded rebuttal, ANC spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane, said the DA is “peddling lies” about the Sasolburg protests against the merger in order to gain political mileage.

“It (DA accusation) smacks of vilification and ferments unruly behavior due to lies given to communities of those towns of the two municipalities. Comrade Ace Magashule, as the Premier of Free State, had nothing to do with the proposal made to merge Metsimaholo and Ngwathe municipalities.

“The proposal, as part of other proposals which were made, came as a result of the process of Demarcation Board. It was part of the proposals submitted to the Demarcation Board by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, as a department responsible for such processes. Those proposals were synthesized into a concise document of proposals drawing from what came from the different communities of the Free State.”

DA provincial leader, Patricia Kopane said earlier in the week that Magashule had lied about his involvement in the proposal to merge Sasolburg with the Ngwathe municipality.
Sasolburg falls under Metsimaholo, while Parys falls under Ngwathe.

“In an interview with the Mail & Guardian newspaper last week, Magashule claimed to have nothing to do with the demarcation process, while his government made the proposal to the Municipal Demarcation Board in December 2011,” said Kopane.

Khoabane accused Kopane and the DA of fuelling “combustible conditions” in Sasolburg by claiming to have documents proving Magashule’s involvement.

“At the time the situation is brought under control, the DA emerges like opportunists to try to turn the communities against the ANC leadership. They disregard the women who were raped during the violence in Sasolburg; they do not care about the business community of Sasolburg who lost property due to criminal elements who hijacked the protest of the community.

“The DA is interested in scoring political points than caring about the lives of small Black businesses that lost everything and would never be able to revive their businesses anytime soon.”
Protests broke out two weeks ago in Sasolburg’s Zamdela township against the proposal to merge the two municipalities.

Four people were killed, and several others, including two police officers, were injured.

More than 200 people were arrested, and there was substantial damage to property.

Khoabane said only the demarcation board and the co-operative governance department had jurisdiction over demarcation plans.

“We, therefore, deplore in strongest terms any attempt by the DA to fan fires in our Townships, especially in Sasolburg, through their genetic mode of lying to communities. It is comrade Ace Magashule who requested the Minister Baloyi and MEC Olly Mlamleli to deal with the situation as it falls under their jurisdiction, that is why the was calm in the area.

“This is the same reason why the premier requested Co-operative Governance Minister, Richard Baloyi, and Free State Human Settlements, MEC Olly Mlamleli, to go to Sasolburg and speak to the community, as they were best placed to deal with the issue.”

He said proposals to merge or split municipalities remained proposals until the board and the affected residents had held discussions and agreed on the matter.