The Govan Mbeki Municipality Executive Mayor, Cllr Thandi Ngxonono was accused of being a bad leader within the society.
The accusations were raised during the National Department of Human Settlement visit to the family of a thirteen-year-old boy Hlalefo Mapeshoane who was electrocuted by a hanging electricity cable in Embalenhle.
The visit was on Monday, 17 August 2020.
Neighbors of the Mapeshoane family and the community members told the national human settlement representatives that the GMM Executive Mayor failed to visit the family since the incident happened.
Hlalefo was walking from school with his friend in October 2018 when he accidentally touched an electricity cable that was hanging on the ground.
After the incident, Hlalefo was admitted at the Witbank Hospital until the beginning of the lock-down this year.
No one from Govan Mbeki Municipality was said to have visited the family, including the Executive Mayor.
Hlalefo‘s mother lost her domestic work job when she went to stay with him for more than a year at the hospital.
His father also worked contracts and is currently unemployed.
According to Mr Mapeshoane he went and knocked at the municipality door asking for help regarding transport to the hospital to visit his son and was turned back without any help.
He further mentioned that even though his son‘s future was affected by the negligence of the municipality, he could not be assisted when he begged for help.
Some of the residents who still cry when they recall the incident and continue to see the suffering of the family said before the incident, they reported the hanging cable to the municipality but their plight to get it removed fell on deaf ears.
Mr Boyce Mkhwanazi from the Disability Association said he personally phoned the mayor after he received the complaint and informed her of the incident.
He further mentioned that the reason he was contacted is that Hlalefo now belongs to the association of the disability.
“I am surprised to hear that even today she has not yet visited the family,” said Mr Mkhwanazi who was accompanied by Ms Gabisile Mahlangu.
EFF PR Councillor, Mr Thabiso Mofokeng narrated how Govan Mbeki Municipality shut their doors to prevent the Mapeshoane family to submit documents from the lawyers.
The struggling family was assisted by the neighbors, of which one of the women even handed over her child grant card so that it can assist.
“The pain this family endured under the watch of GMM is unforgettable,” said one of the neighbors who vowed not to vote for ANC again in her life.
After seeing Hlalefo story on SABC television, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu deployed people from her office to go and look at the family situation in order for her department to assist.
Mr Ngqazana Likhaya from the National Department of Human Settlement said he was disappointed to hear that the municipality leadership failed to avail themselves to the family and promised to send back the report as it is.
The Department of Education also visited the family and donated some food parcels and money.
Seskhona Media reporter, Ms Levhuwani Matumba tried several times to get a comment from the Executive Mayor since her name was mentioned.
Only on Thursday, 3 September 2020 Chief of Staff in the Office of the Executive Mayor and GMM Acting Head of Communications Mr Benzi Soko agreed to meet with the reporter at the municipality offices.
To her surprise, Mr Soko who admitted that the Executive Mayor never visited the family said he could not comment because the matter is too sensitive.
