Malema backers 'to get top posts'

LOYALISTS of ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema and Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale are set to lead municipalities in Limpopo as mayors

"The youth league has influence on the deployment of party cadres to high-ranking government positions and Malema will stop at nothing to make sure that those deployed eat from the palm of his hand," a source said.

Sowetan has it on good authority that regions such as Vhembe and Waterberg will lose their current executive mayors. They will be replaced by Malema and Mathale supporters.

Executive mayor for Vhembe Philemon Mdaka will be replaced by a member of the mayoral committee, Florence Rumane, while Eric Gwangwa, of the Waterberg district, is set to be replaced by current Lephalale local municipality mayor Rosina Mogotlane.

The two are believed to be Malema's chief lobbyists in his bid to serve a second term as youth league president.

A list compiled by the ANC Limpopo provincial executive committee shows that Joshua Matlou, Mogobo Magabe and Lawrence Mapoulo will retain their positions as executive mayors of Mopani, Sekhukhune and Capricon districts respectively.

All three are known to be loyal supporters of both Mathale and Malema.

The man heading the province's economic hub, Polokwane mayor Freddy Greaver, is also set to retain his position.

Greaver was recruited from mining magnate Patrice Motsepe to lead the municipality last year when it was on the brink of collapse with its financial records in the red.

Some of the local municipalities which will have new mayors are Aganang, Molemole, Tzaneen, BaPhalaborwa, Giyani, Thulamela, Mutale and Musina.

ANC provincial spokesperson David Masondo said the deployment of mayors and executive mayors was a prerogative of the ANC and not individuals.