Bid to call off city meeting

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg has written to city manager Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni, asking him to call off a special council sitting tomorrow, arguing that an urgent meeting to elect a new speaker was unlawful because the position was not yet vacant.

The DA and the ANC have been waging a political war, fighting for the two biggest metros in Gauteng, Tshwane and Johannesburg.

Mudslinging between the two parties intensified last week as the DA lost Johannesburg to the ANC through a mayoral election, after the position became vacant following the resignation of Herman Mashaba.

The ANC’s Geoff Makhubo donned the mayoral chain on Wednesday after he secured more than the 50% plus one majority needed to become mayor when 137 councillors cast their ballots in his favour.

The fight has now turned to council, where the DA’s own elected speaker, Vasco da Gama, was removed through a vote of no confidence last week.

The DA, however, claim that the motion failed.

DA caucus leader in the city, Funzela Ngobeni, said the recent action by the ANC was an attempt to flex political muscle by abusing the prescripts of the law.

“This is unlawful, as the position of the speaker is not vacant. Even if it were vacant, neither the MEC, nor the mayor, nor the city manager are legally competent to act,” Ngobeni said.

The DA argues that Da Gama is still the speaker, so only he could convene a sitting of council.

Failure to comply with this request by the DA could result in court action, Ngobeni added.

The ANC has rubbished the DA’s stance on the speaker, saying that legal advice on the matter agreed that Da Gama no longer held the position of speaker.

According to the ANC, 135 councillors voted in favour of the motion to remove Da Gama, while 99 DA councillors voted against it. The 30 Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillors abstained.

The spat between political parties spilled over into Tshwane as well and the removal of mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and speaker Katlego Mathebe is being contested in court.

Last week, a Tshwane special council meeting saw the successful removal of Mokgalapa and Mathebe, following motions of no confidence.

The legality of the events have been brought into questions after Mathebe recused herself, and EFF Tshwane councillor Obakeng Ramabodu was subsequently elected by the ANC and the EFF.

– News24 Wire

This is unlawful, as the position of the speaker is not vacant.

Funzela Ngobeni

DA caucus leader in Joburg