Court sets aside decision to oust City of Tshwane Mayor, Speaker

The Pretoria High Court has granted an interim order to the Democratic Alliance (DA), setting aside the removal of the Tshwane mayor and speaker.

The Judge found that pending the finalisation of several applications before it, all resolutions passed by the Tshwane Council on Thursday, at its special council meeting were suspended and of no effect.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African National Congress (ANC) in the city passed a motion of no confidence against Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and Speaker Katlego Mathebe.

The two parties appointed an acting speaker, EFF Councillor Obakeng Ramabodu, to preside over the removal of the two.

The DA did not vote in protest as they say the whole process was illegal. The DA has now approached the court and the matter will be heard on 17 December.

“What that means is that everything that happened yesterday (Thursday), the election of acting speaker as well as the motion of no confidence against the speaker and the executive mayor is now set aside and it has fallen away and they are back in their positions. Tshwane has got the mayor that is Stevens Mokgalapa. We have an acting mayor since Stevens Mokgalapa is on leave and that is the acting executive mayor Councillor Abel Tau and we have the speaker which is Councillor Katlego Mathebe,” says DA leader in Gauteng John Moodey.

The City of Tshwane earlier said in a memo that it had appointed Makgorometje Makgata as the Acting City Manager to oversee all administrative decisions and ensure continued service delivery to residents.

The Human Settlements Department in the ANC controlled Gauteng administration is among those finalising plans to move forward with placing the City of Tshwane under administration.

Among the reasons for this is what the provincial administration says is the frequency of unauthorised and irregular expenditure highlighted in the Auditor General’s report.