The ANC and EFF have seized two crucial positions in the City of Ekurhuleni: council speaker and chief whip.
Former city chief whip and DA councillor Khetha Shandu resigned on Wednesday amidst plans to unseat him. In his resignation letter, he claimed personal reasons and stated that he was departing immediately.
“I am writing to formally tell you of my resignation as the whip of council and a councillor of the City of Ekurhuleni, effective immediately today, 1 February 2023, due to personal circumstances. “Thank you for your support during my time in office,” Shandu writes in his letter.
Shandu and the speaker of council Raymond Dhlamini faced a motion of no confidence from the chair of the Independent Citizens Movement, Joe Mojapelo, last week; however, they were saved another day in their respective positions as the EFF and DA squabbled and the council meeting collapsed.
The resolution against Dhlamini was likely to be carried over to Thursday afternoon’s council meeting, where it was slated to remain on the agenda. However, Dhlamini left before the council ended its business, putting the municipal manager in charge of supervising the proceedings in his absence.
Dhlamini allegedly attempted to postpone the proceedings by adjourning the council meeting; nevertheless, after numerous adjournments, the councillors requested that he recuse himself. The gathering concluded Thursday evening.
Nthabiseng Tshivhenga of the EFF was appointed interim speaker, while Jongizizwe Dlabathi of the ANC emerged as the acting top whip.
Meanwhile, ActionSA has urged Mzi Khumalo, Gauteng’s MEC for cooperative governance, to intervene immediately in what it deems a crisis in the City of Ekurhuleni.
According to ActionSA’s Gauteng chairwoman, Bongani Baloyi, Dhlamini has a conflict of interest because he failed to implement the agenda for the council meeting as required by section 139 of the constitution.
Baloyi stated, “Section 139 of the constitution empowers the local government MEC to intervene when a municipality is unable to fulfill a constitutional or statutory executive obligation.”
“Dhlamini left a special council meeting in which he was to face a motion of no confidence, causing the meeting to break down”
Regardless of the grounds of the motion brought against Dhlamini, Baloyi stated that it was his duty to “facilitate the democratic business of council.” He stated that his behavior is unacceptable.
“The incapacity of the municipality to pass critical items, including the adjustment budget, now poses a direct threat to the municipality’s viability and its ability to deliver services to its inhabitants.
“To make matters worse, this is not the first time Dhlamini has displayed this disregard for council decorum. A week earlier, he attempted to prevent the scheduling of a vote of no confidence against him by abruptly halting a programming committee meeting.”
Baloyi elaborated, “The City of Ekurhuleni cannot be held hostage by the undemocratic practices of its speaker, and the DA-led coalition’s continued delays in council business are exacerbating the city’s existing service delivery problems.” In the end, the people of Ekurhuleni suffer the most as a result of his delaying tactics.
“As a result, ActionSA will send an official letter to MEC Khumalo urging that he intervene immediately in the City of Ekurhuleni in order to protect the inhabitants from future reductions in the delivery of fundamental services.
“ActionSA, as a constructive opposition in the City of Ekurhuleni, does not attempt to destabilize the coalition led by the DA. However, as a party that respects the rule of law, we will ensure that no public official engages in undemocratic behavior, regardless of their political affiliation.”
The City of Ekurhuleni chose the Acting Whip of Council today, following the resignation of the DA speaker. The council elected comrade Jongizizwe Dlabathi as the leader of the ANC Party. After the DA speaker decided to quit Council, we elected an acting speaker from the EFF, pic.twitter.com/t7CqAkfs66
2.Feb.2023 — Ntuthuzelo (@Ntuthuzelotsik)
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