Photo: Unsplash
Photo: Unsplash
‘Heads you run this municipality, tails we do’ – that’s what it all came down to on Thursday, after the Limpopo municipality of Modimolle Mookgophong was eventually given to the DA, thanks to the results of a coin toss.
How the mayorship of Modimolle-Mookgophong was decided by a coin toss
The Blues have taken control of the district, on the basis of pure chance. Four previous council meetings failed to reach a resolution, and the municipality went mayorless for a whole month after the 2021 Elections.
The DA, who had the support of the EFF and the FF Plus, kept pulling 14 votes each from fellow councillors. However, that’s the exact same number of councillors who voted against the party. This cycle carried on tediously right up until this afternoon, when it was decided a 50/50 outcome should decide the result.
???? [BREAKING NEWS]
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) December 2, 2021
DA Councillor, Marlene Van Staden has been elected to serve as the Executive Mayor of Modimolle-Mookgophong Local Municipality, in Limpopo.
Now that the election is done, it's time to secure a better future for all residents and get things done! ???????????? pic.twitter.com/TFnZJYjRFj
DA Mayor elected in bizarre fashion
Sure enough, the Gods were with the DA on this occasion – and they were able to take the top seat available in Modimolle-Mookgophong. However, as is a common theme in the past month, some cross-party cooperation is needed to get the municipality firing on all cylinders again:
- Mayor: Marlene Van Staden (DA)
- Speaker: Sinah Langa (ANC)
- Chief Whip: Maria Kekana (ANC)
- Action Municipal Manager: Dakalo Sinthumule (ANC)
Five meetings later, and it comes down to a coin toss
The DA has thrown its support behind their candidate, instructing Van Staden to ‘ensure good governance’.
“Mayor Van Staden was elected through a coin toss after there had been two tied rounds of voting (14 votes each), with the EFF and FF Plus councillors voting for our candidate. The council had held four previous council meetings with no resolution on the position of mayor, while a speaker was only elected at the fourth meeting.”
“The DA is excited and looks forward to continue on its sustained efforts to ensure good governance, revitalise the local economy and provide good basic services for all residents within the municipality.”
DA statement
