EFF councillors to fight axing

Eric Naki

The six Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillors from Mogale City in Krugersdorp, who were fired by the party’s national leadership at the weekend for approving an ANC-initiated budget against the instructions of the party, are set to challenge their expulsion.

The six, EFF council chief whip Simanga Mkhumbeni and fellow councillors Eric Baloyi, Lemogang Modisane, Nomonde Nkatu, Nhlanhla Shilubane and Edward Motsisi were consulting their lawyers. They defied the EFF’s policy of not supporting the ANC in decisions taken in the council.

In July, the councillors voted for the Mogale City budget in contravention of EFF leadership’s instruction to boycott the sitting so the budget could not be passed. The votes of the six helped to get it passed after it had been delayed due to lack of a quorum as a result of the opposition stay-away.

Without the support of the opposition, the ANC wouldn’t have been able to pass the budget and, therefore, would not have been able to deliver services.

The EFF central command expelled the six councillors for bringing the party into disrepute.

According to Mkhumbeni, they heard of their expulsion through the media. This followed disciplinary hearings against them in July.

Mkhumbeni said they had supported the budget because it was pro-poor and in line with EFF policy. “We submitted demands as the EFF in July to the municipality to ensure they were incorporated into the final budget to address the needs of the poor...That budget will benefit our people, it’s the programme of the EFF,” he added.