Matika’s resignation a victory for the people

4 September 2018

The eventual resignation of Sol Plaatje Mayor, Mangaliso Matika is a victory for the people of Kimberley. It is also an about turn from the harsh words of the failing ANC’s Collen Maine, who earlier today said that they would not be forced into removing Matika.

Matika long ago lost the confidence of not only the residents of Kimberley but also the majority of Sol Plaatje councillors. He mismanaged municipal funds, manipulated municipal business in favour of his friends and abused resources to sustain a luxury lifestyle. All this was done at an unwarranted cost to residents, and at the expense of service delivery and the local economy.

The Matika saga should serve as a wake-up call to the failing ANC, that governments of the day are voted into power by the people and that the people should never be taken for granted.

While we welcome Matika’s departure, it will nonetheless take more hard work to ensure that Matika madness comes to an end and that the power of his crooked cronies, like Municipal Manager Ruth Sebolecwe, is nipped in the bud. It will also require much work to undo years of misallocation of funds, that have resulted in especially a lack of maintenance of the city sewerage system, and the dire neglect of roads as well as basic services in DA wards in particular.

The DA will continue to probe the Matika scandals, including the purchase of his luxury BMW and his municipal funded accommodation, with luxury furnishings, as well as his hand in the awarding of certain tenders and kickbacks. Justice must still be allowed to take its course and those who aided Matika must also be held accountable.

While the DA hopes that a change in leadership will at least allow basic services to resume in certain sidelined areas, it is only change under a DA-led government that will lead to economic growth, jobs and prosperity for the people of Kimberley.

Issued by Andrew Louw, DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader, 4 September 2018