The National Council of Provinces (NCOP), with the exception of the Western Cape, has adopted a report by the Gauteng department of CoGTA to dissolve Tshwane Metro Council, under section 139: 1 C of the Constitution.
The NCOP has spent the past few days in Gauteng, deliberating on a number of issues, including the challenges that have emerged from Tshwane.
It has decided it’s time for the Tshwane Metro Council to be dissolved as 8 out of 9 provinces voted in favour of the recommendation during a sitting of the National Council of Provinces.
In the video below, Parliament says that the Tshwane Metro Council must be dissolved.
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP’s) announcement in favour of the dissolution of #TshwaneCouncil by the Gauteng Provincial Government without due process sets dangerous precedence.
It is factually flawed, we will fight to set it aside in court.https://t.co/wrxpmYRd9W
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 19, 2020
We vehemently disagree with the decision to put the City of Tshwane under administration.
If the MEC was serious about assisting the City of Tshwane, he should have approached SALGA to assist in finding solutions and lobbied all parties to work together.
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 19, 2020
Chairperson, Select Committee on Co-operative Governance, China Dodovu says they have engaged with stakeholders.
“We did everything possible to engage the stakeholders, the communities external and internal; to ask them a principal question about the state of the municipality and, overwhelmingly, they’ve said dissolve the municipality because this municipality is not democratic, is not accountable to them; the system and structures have collapsed. It doesn’t provide necessary services to the people and it’s not ensuring that we participate as outside communities. Therefore all of this constitutes the special circumstances to dissolve the municipality.”
But the Democratic Alliance (DA) says it’s challenging the dissolution in court. The party vehemently disagrees with the decision to put the City of Tshwane under administration.
DA, which has the majority of seats in the council, is fighting back. MPL Crezane Bosch says they will not accept this report.
“We will not accept this report just lying down and we will continue to fight. This is a principled fight for the protection of our democracy in South Africa and the outcome of this court case and this case specifically will have a huge influence on municipalities going forward of the 2021 elections where there is no outright majority.”
The decision to dissolve Tshwane Metro was taken by the Gauteng provincial executive committee.
In the meantime, the provincial government is going ahead with its plans. MEC Lebogang Maile says the administrator will be starting his/her duties on Saturday.
“The administrator will be starting his or her duties on Saturday because 14 days end tomorrow (Friday). We were waiting for the NCOP to make this pronouncement.”
The dissolution of the Tshwane Metro Council is due in court next Tuesday. If the DA loses, by-elections will have to be held within 90 days.
