ANC gets act together, takes back Tlokwe mayorship

Maphetle Maphetle has been returned as mayor of the Tlokwe municipality in the North West on Tuesday.

He won by 31 votes to 21 votes for former DA mayor Annette Combrink.

As the results were announced ANC members in the council erupted into applause and cheers.

Earlier a vote of no confidence in Combrink was passed by the municipal council.

The vote and the motion of no confidence was passed by 30 votes to 22.

As Combrink left the desk at the front of the council house, Councillor David Legoete who brought the motion, gave her a mock standing ovation.

Combrink pulled a face and gave him a thumbs down sign.

Legoete brought the motion, on behalf of the African National Congress caucus in Tlokwe city council, to have Combrink removed from office with immediate effect.

In the motion, Legoete said Combrink was a member of the Democratic Alliance and as such was bound by the policies of the DA.

"The major constituents within the jurisdiction of the Tlokwe City Council voted for the ANC and therefore expect the executive mayor to abide by the national, provincial and local policies, and manifestos of the ANC to be implemented for purposes of service delivery to them," he submitted.

"It is [untenable] for the Tlokwe city council, which has the majority of councillors representing the ANC, [to be] led by a member of the DA in the executive."

Fighting ANC factions passed a motion of no confidence in party-aligned mayor Maphetle in November.

He was replaced by Combrink -- the first DA mayor in the province -- when she defeated ANC candidate Lucky Tsagae by 20 votes to 19 for the mayoral position.