MAKHUBO TAKES HELM
ANC candidate laps up the votes DA left stunned as support collapses Daggers out for traitor councillors
WHILE newly elected Joburg mayor Geoff Makhubo is today expected to officially outline some of his plans and aspirations for the City, daggers are out for DA councillors who reportedly voted for him.
In a dramatic turn of events, the official opposition was left stunned as the ANC lapped up votes that gave Makhubo firm authority to run the City.
The DA’s leadership, in turn, accused its councillors and coalition partners, the IFP, FF+, ACDP, UDM, Cope and ACDP, of betraying the party.
“If you think about it, just about every single coalition partner must have voted for the ANC. One of the disappointments is that you talk to the coalition partners and they say, ‘Don’t worry we are voting for you,’ and then you get a result like this. You feel betrayed,” DA provincial chairperson Mike Moriarty said after the process left the ANC sitting firmly with 137 votes, the DA with 103 for its candidate Funzela Ngobeni and the EFF with 30 votes for its Musa Novela.
It now appears the DA’s woes are far from over. As Makhubo addresses the media today, it is hoped he will shed some light on the ANC’s decision regarding key positions in the council.
This includes the position of current council Speaker Vasco da Gama whose fate hangs in limbo after the provincial government took a tough stance on him when he failed to convene an initial sitting for the election of a new mayor.
Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Cogta, Lebogang Maile, had written a letter to Da Gama chastising him over the positions of members of the mayoral committee, saying that because of the anomaly, the MMCs were also in limbo over the positions.
Moriarty said the DA, which could also lose Tshwane if its coalition partners continue to abandon the party, would hold consultations with the parties.
Currently, the ANC has 122 councillors, the DA 102 and the EFF 30 councillors.
It also remained to be seen if any councillors would cross the floor.
THE DETAILS of an out-of-court settlement between former president Jacob Zuma’s family and an ANC MP in their battle over a Joburg suburb house have been wrapped under confidentiality.
A lawyer for Zephrona Sizani Dubazana, the litigant, arrived at the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, yesterday to ask Judge Ingrid Opperman to remove the matter from the roll as an agreement had been reached.
“The matter has been resolved by agreement. May it please be removed from roll,” said the lawyer in proceedings that lasted no more than 30 seconds.
Judge Opperman obliged. She had been informed on Monday that negotiations were under way to find a last-minute solution to the impasse between Dubazana and Zuma’s family over the posh house in Forest Town.
Zuma has been renting out the house from Dubazana since 2005. Dubazana dragged his family to court as she wanted to gain access to the house for purposes of selling it, as Zuma had allegedly defaulted on rent.
Judge Opperman was not told the nature of the settlement.
It emerged after the brief proceedings that the parties agreed to keep the details confidential.
Brian Clayton, Dubazana’s attorney, told The Star all parties agreed not to disclose publicly whether the house would be sold via an estate agency or whether the Zumas would pay Dubazana and keep it.
“The matter has been settled. The details of the settlement are confidential. I cannot disclose anything,” said Clayton.
Zuma’s spokesperson Vukile Mathabela would also not comment.
“As the office of the former president, we can’t comment because this is a family matter,” he said.
Due to Zuma’s alleged defaulting on the rent, Absa won a court judgment last year to attach the house and auction it off.
Dubazana’s resolve to sell the house would avoid an auction by Absa.
According to reports, Zuma’s daughter, Phumzile, previously offered to buy the property for R3.4m, but Dubazana rejected it on grounds that she agreed to sell it to the Zumas for R7.5m in 2009.
She procured the house for Zuma after he was axed from government in 2005. He was fired from his position as deputy president.
The house on Epping Road, Forest Town, was a centre of controversy in 2006.
Accusations of rape Zuma faced in 2006 emanated from this home. The late Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo, known as Khwezi, alleged that Zuma raped her when she visited.
Zuma was acquitted of the rape charge, after arguing that he had consensual sex with the daughter of his late ANC stalwart, Judson Kuzwayo.