The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the collapse of yet another council meeting in the Tshwane Metro is part of the oppositions’ tactics to eventually have the municipality placed under administration. Thursday morning’s meeting where a new mayor, Randall Williams, was expected to be elected, collapsed after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African National Congress (ANC) staged a walkout.
Williams was to take over from Stevens Mokgalapa who resigned following a sex scandal.
The council has failed to hold a successful sitting since December 2019.
Opposition parties also want Speaker Katlego Mathebe out. However, attempts to oust her have been unsuccessful.
DA leader in Gauteng, John Moodey, says these tactics will cause the city to be placed under administration.
“We don’t have a mayor. So, within seven days, we have to have a mayor elected. There’s an adjustment budget that needs to be passed by council today and if it doesn’t pass we have a problem in terms of how do you render services moving on, and it will lead to adverse findings from the Auditor General,” says Moodey.
The ANC says it does not support Williams. However, the party hasn’t put any name forward for the position.
It says the people of Tshwane should blame Mathebe for the recurring collapse of council meetings.
ANC Leader in Tshwane Dr. Kgosi Maepa says they are worried about service delivery in the city.
“We are focused on saying we want to get Tshwane organised. We are now speaking to National Treasury because we are worried about the budget. Right now, we have Williams, but we don’t want to support him. So, if there’s any other candidate that will come, obviously, the ANC will have to make a calculation, but for now our preoccupation is to make sure that the city continues to get services and our people on the ground. The ANC has 68 wards out of 107. So, we are mostly affected,” says Maepa.
The EFF’s Mo-Africa Mabogwane says they don’t trust Mathebe to preside over the election of a new mayor.
The DA says it will engage with the two parties to find an amicable solution.
Video: Chaos erupts again at Tshwane council meeting:
