Will ANC survive ‘no confidence’ motion in Mtubatuba?

THE ANC in the far north region of Kwazulu-natal is hoping to survive a motion of no confidence, and remain in power in the Mtubatuba Municipality.

The long-awaited council meeting, requested by the IFP last month in order to pass a motion of no confidence in the ANC leadership, will finally sit today.

ANC regional chairperson Simphile Mdakane told the Daily News yesterday that his party was ready to defend all the positions the IFP wants to take through the motion.

“We have won the council election with these numbers and nothing has changed, so councillors as individuals know that since the ANC took over it was responsive to the needs of the people, so we are hoping they would vote according to their conscience tomorrow,” Mdakane.

The IFP filed a motion of no confidence last month to remove the mayor, deputy mayor and speaker. All these positions are currently occupied by the ANC after the IFP walked out during the first sitting. The IFP had complained that their two councillors who had left were prevented from rejoining the meeting.

This gave the ANC an opportunity to take the municipality, although it did not have enough seats.

The IFP approached the courts to force the speaker to call a meeting to pass a motion arguing that the meeting went ahead without a quorum, and the court ruled in its favour.

Speaker Dipuo Ntuli told the Daily News on Sunday that she would call the meeting before the end of the week, adding that a delay was caused by the absence of staff who were on holiday, to draft the agenda.

Apart from the motion, the council is also expected to appoint the acting municipal manager to replace Siyabonga Ntuli, who resigned to take the position of acting municipal manager in the umkhanyakude District Municipality. The first council meeting after the local government elections was marred with drama, after the IFP councillors walked out.