Ousted Ubuntu mayor to take action after getting the boot
THE OUSTED mayor of the Ubuntu Municipality, Paula Jantjies, plans to take legal action after being unceremoniously booted out of office, where the former coalition-led council has now fallen back into the hands of the ANC.
In a lawyer’s letter sent on behalf of Jantjies, who is an independent councillor, a call has been made for a vacancy to be urgently declared at the Ubuntu Municipality and a by-election held in ward four.
According to the letter, evidence was attached to prove that fellow independent councillor, Krisjan James Arens, was a paid-up ANC member.
It stated that monthly subscriptions were being deducted from his salary towards his membership fees at the Ubuntu sub-region ANC branch as well as into the ANC bank account.
Jantjies, who will remain an independent councillor, believes that Arens conspired with the ANC to gain control of the municipality.
The two independent councillors and two DA councillors were previously in a coalition, controlling the council.
However, the three ANC councillors, along with Arens, voted in the motion of no confidence that saw Jantjies being removed from her position as Ubuntu mayor during a special council meeting that was held on August 17.
Jantjies also served as the Speaker of the Ubuntu Municipality.
ANC councillor Amelia Kweleta was subsequently voted in as the new mayor.
The two DA councillors abstained from taking part in the motion and withdrew from the coalition due to the “consistent nonco-operation of the two independent councillors”.
Letter
The lawyer’s letter added that, according to the municipal regulations, a vacancy can be declared if a councillor was “not nominated by a party as a candidate in the ward election and/or becomes a member of a party”.
Ubuntu’s municipal manager, Thandazani Makhoba, stated that the matter was subject to a legal inquiry and requested time to be afforded an opportunity to respond.
However, according to ANC provincial spokesperson, Naledi Gaosekwe, councillor Arens “was not an ANC member”.
“He ceased to be an ANC member when he contested as an independent candidate at the Ubuntu Municipality. All that happened was that he voted with the ANC to remove Jantjies.”
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) provincial electoral officer, Bonolo Modise, indicated that there were no regulations preventing an independent councillor from joining a political party after they were elected into office.
“This is more a party matter and does not fall under the jurisdiction of the IEC.”
Spokesperson for the Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Lerato Khunou, indicated that MEC Alvin Botes had met with municipal officials last week.
“The matter is sub judice.” DA constituency head for Ubuntu, Safiyia Stanfley, explained that the breakdown in the coalition relationship between the DA and independent councillors, was aggravated by the financial woes at the municipality.
“The municipality does not have any finances to appoint senior staff.
“None of the recommendations of the forensic report were implemented, including the allocation of municipal tenders, the mismanagement of funds and other projects. We want these matters to be placed under further investigation.”