The King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) municipal council has re-elected Councillor Nyaniso Nelani as its executive mayor for the next five years at its special inaugural council meeting held at Mthatha Town Hall on November 22.
The council sitting also elected newcomer, Nomamfengu Siyo-Sokutu, as the council speaker.
Both Nelani and Siyo-Sokutu were elected unopposed.
The inaugural council sitting also swore in the new municipal councillors, following the November 1 local government elections.
“My commitment as the newly elected council speaker will be to ensure stability in the council, harmonious relationships with all political parties represented in the council and an oversight role on every service delivery stride within the municipality,” Siyo-Sokutu said, shortly after being elected to her position.
“One of my key priorities will be to strengthen public participation to ensure that the community is involved and educated about their role as an important stakeholder in the municipality,” she added.
Nelani said he and his mayoral committee would be focusing on four key priorities to drive the municipality forward for the next five-year term, namely, resource mobilisation, infrastructure and economic investment, capacity building and service delivery.
The council sitting was adjourned to November 23, due to an ANC request, so it could elect a council chief whip and councillors that would represent it in the OR Tambo District Municipality council.
Similar inaugural council meetings were being hosted, on November 22, in four other local councils under the OR Tambo District Municipality, namely, Nyandeni Local Municipality, Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, Port St Johns Local Municipality and Mhlontlo Local Municipality.
No results from the inaugural council meetings at the other four local municipalities were available at the time of going to press.
