Boitumelo Koloi
MASERU — Stadium Area Local councillor ‘Mateboho Mokooane is the new Maseru City Council Mayor after edging acting Mayor Hlathe Majara in highly contested council leadership elections in Maseru on Tuesday.
Majara who had been acting in the post since October after former Mayor Mafonase Hoohlo fell out of favour with the members of the council following her election into office in last year’s poll.
Up to16 members of the council participated in the poll. Mokooane won by a one vote slight margin bagging eight votes to Majara’s seven with one vote declared spoiled.
A motion for vote-of-no-confidence was instigated against Hoohlo just two months after installation into office for among others questionable a leadership, where she is said to have been in the habit of jumping the gun and unconstitutionally ordering employees of the council.
Following the move to have her removed, Hoohlo had challenged the move in court to which a court order was awarded the provisions of which were for stay of execution pending a decision by the court. The court subsequently ruled in favour of the councillors hence Hoohlo’s removal in October. Hoohlo shunned Tuesday’s poll.
According to MCC’s Public Relations Officer Lintle Moerane the poll was in line with the Local Government (Amendment) Act of 2010, which provides for an annual election of a Mayor should there be a vacancy in the office.
Comments are closed.