Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) chairperson Thabo Manyoni has promised to vacate his seat should he be elected as ANC chairperson in the Free State.
In a statement on Sunday, DA national spokesperson Cilliers Brink said Manyoni had been actively campaigning to become the ANC’s Free State chairperson, an undertaking which Brink says violates the impartiality of the MDB.
Section of the Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act of 1998 sets out the independence of the MDB and mandates the organisation to be impartial.
“Manyoni’s public pursuit of political office in the ANC severely compromises the MDB’s statutory independence and contaminates its work on municipal and ward demarcation,” Brink said.
Speaking to Sowetan on Sunday, Manyoni confirmed he was indeed campaigning to be the ANC chair in the province.
He said this was widely known but maintained regulations were silent on what officials who were on the campaign trail should do.
“I don't want to get into a public spat with political parties because I want to serve parties as fairly as I can, which is what I’ve been doing as the chairperson.
“My understanding is if I’m fortunate enough to win I’d have to resign. When you’re campaigning it doesn’t mean you should resign. Immediately when I get elected I will resign,” Manyoni assured.
Manyoni was appointed in 2019 on a five-year term as chair of the board by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Manyoni also served as mayor of Mangaung, something Brink found issue with, adding that due to his high ranking post in the past he should never have been appointed as chairman of the MDB in the first place.
“From the moment that he realised that he wanted to contest as the ANC’s Free State chairperson, Manyoni should have immediately tendered his resignation. His continued stay as MDB chairperson while simultaneously contesting for political office is highly unethical and unlawful, as made evident by the act.
“By insisting on hanging to his MDB post while campaigning for political office, Manyoni’s actions create a real speculation that he wants to use the former as a fall back plan should his bid to be the head of the ANC in the Free State fail,” Brink said.
On his past, Manyoni questioned why Brink raised the issue and not when he was appointed.
While there is no confirmed date for the Free State conference, it is expected to sit at the end of September.
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