Regional chair Madaka is EFF’s mayoral candidate
EFF regional chair Amandlangawethu Madaka was sworn in as a new councillor of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality yesterday.
Madaka will also stand as the party’s mayoral candidate at tomorrow’s keenly anticipated special council meeting.
He replaces former EFF councillor Zilindile Vena, who resigned in February after an accusation of rape by a student from Nelson Mandela University.
Madaka was sworn in by Bay acting municipal manager Noxolo Nqwazi in front of COO Mandla George.
The EFF now has its full complement of six councillors in the chamber.
Speaking on his new role, Madaka said he was honoured the EFF had chosen him and that he would fulfil it according to the party’s mandate.
“I’ll continue doing what the EFF has done.
“We’ve got our founding principles that we live by and I’m going to make sure that we implement them.
“The EFF has its seven cardinal pillars which guide us and will continue to do so,” he said.
A constant figure in the public gallery during council meetings, Madaka said he was up to the task of being both the party’s regional chair and taking up his new role.
Speaking on tomorrow’s council meeting, Madaka confirmed he was the party’s mayoral candidate.
Speaker Buyelwa Mafaya granted the request, through a petition signed by 62 councillors of the DA, UDM, COPE ACDP, UDM and United Front, calling for a special sitting.
The petition was also signed by councillor Mongameli Bobani, who was ousted as mayor during the December 4 council meeting.
On the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting is a motion by DA councillor Morne Steyn calling for the election of a new mayor, the removal of committee chairs and the appointment of new ones.