Seerane takes up mayoral hotseat

Mayor Koketso Calvin Seerane

KOKETSO Calvin Seerane, of the African National Congress (ANC), is the new mayor of Mogale City.

He was elected during the first council meeting of the term held at the council chambers in Krugersdorp on Wednesday, 15 March. This was the first sitting of the council since the local government elections on 1 March.

Before voting on the two key municipal positions, 63 councillors were sworn in and undertook to take part in the vote faithfully. The election of the municipality's new mayor, speaker and mayoral committee was observed by some 200 people, who packed the public gallery.

Mogale City has 64 councillors in total, with the ANC having 42. The Democratic Party (DA) has 16 councillors, with the smaller parties holding the other positions.

The councillors at the meeting voted for their candidates by a show of hands, with Seerane beating the DA's Andrew Dott by 45 votes to 16. The Freedom Front Plus's two representatives abstained from voting.

Seerane is the former chief whip of the ANC's Mogale City councillors.

Mogale City's new speaker is the ANC's Luthando Christinah Mangole, who beat the DA's Gladys Pretorius. Again, the FF+ abstained.

Members of the public sang and danced as the mayor and speaker were sworn in, until municipal manager Itumeleng Mokate called the house to order.