Nkosana Lekotjolo

Nkosana Lekotjolo

Re-elected ANC chairman in the Free State, Ace Magashule, has declared this as the year of cleaning up all under-performing municipalities in the province.

Magashule spoke to Sowetan after the party's provincial conference in Parys, Free State which ended yesterday

Asked if the heads of municipal mayors whose municipalities were performing badly and were marred by corruption allegations, would roll, Magashule said: " If there were mayors alleged to be involved in tender irregularities then the ANC would certainly have to be involved.

"Heads should roll at all times in this instance," said Magashule.

He said they have requested the mayor of the troubled Maluti-a-Phofung municipality (MaP) in Phuthaditjhaba to ask for professional assistance to save the struggling municipality.

MAP mayor Balekile Mzangwa, who has long been criticised by the opposition for protecting top officials accused of mismanagement and nepotism, also attended the conference.

"We have already approached the municipality and are currently engaging them," said Magashule.

In February Sowetan published stories that the municipality was embroiled in allegations ranging from financial mismanagement to irregularities in the tendering process. The auditor-general was called in to investigate the procurement deals that took place between 2003 and 2004.

The DA, PAC and Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa have since accused the municipality of failing to take any action against senior officials allegedly involved in serious tender scandals.

lMagashule yesterday said that asking party delegates to donate money for party president Jacob Zuma did not make him a dictator.

Addressing the last day of the conference, Magashule said ANC members should not be made to feel guilty for supporting Zuma and the party.

He was reacting to a report in the Sunday Timesthat labelled him a "dictator of the province" who had coerced members to dig deeper into their pockets and donate money.